


The Dark Entry

by starrynightfantasies



Category: AU Thor Movies, Loki - Fandom, Thor (Movies)
Genre: AU Thor - Freeform, Adult Content, Avengers never happens, Awesome Frigga, Cafe du Monde, Dark World never happens, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Frigga Feels, House of Blues, Light Bondage, Loki clone smut, Loki has no idea where he is, Loki is banished instead of Thor, Loki is super pissed, Loki you little shit, Mardi Gras, Marie Laveau's House of Voodoo, Mutual Masturbation, New Orleans, Oral Sex, Orgasm Delay, Parent Frigga, Remember this is AU, Rough Sex, Sex, Sex Toys, Shower Sex, Sneaky Frigga, Sneaky Loki, The Dark Entry, The oaf knew!, Thor knew, Violence, Violent Death, Voodoo, loki laufeyson - Freeform, loki scheming
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-22
Updated: 2016-12-15
Packaged: 2018-06-10 02:22:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 39
Words: 53,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6934288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starrynightfantasies/pseuds/starrynightfantasies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Thor's thwarted coronation, Odin discovers that Loki was responsible for leading the Jotuns into Asgard. An AU where Thor never goes to Jotunheim, and Odin banishes Loki instead, dropping him onto Midgard in New Orleans...during Mardi Gras.<br/>Loki is confused and heartbroken, and perfectly dressed for the occasion.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

The alley was dark, damp, and stank of sweaty mortals. 

_Odin certainly chose a disgusting place to send me. Further proof of his never-ending hatred for his second born._

He rolled to his side, grimacing at the gray sludge clogging the edges of the curb next to the building. 

_Norns, where **am** I?_

With a groan, he sat up, listening to the sounds of screaming coming from the next street over. He didn't know if he had landed in the middle of a party or a great battle, so he picked his helmet up off of the ground and settled it back on his head, ready for anything. Though Odin had stripped him of his Seidr, he still had his dagger, and that would have to do. He carefully adjusted it inside his pants before stepping out of the alley into the throng of people. 

 

Suddenly, there was a blond, tan, half-naked mortal man hanging on his shoulder. He was a split second away from cutting the man's throat when the mortal yelled; 

"Fucking  _AWESOME_ helmet, dude! Where'd you get that? Holy  _shit_ , man! Your outfit! You look like a fucking  _god!_ "

In one swift move, he had the mortal in a head lock. 

"I  _am_ a god. It would do you good to show some respect, mortal."

The man went limp in his arms, but was not unconscious. He simply shook his head.

"Oh, fuck...I must be tripping harder than I thought."

He let the mortal drop to the ground and unceremoniously walked over him, again wondering what the  _Hel_ was going on.

 

There were  _thousands_ of people all rammed together, seemingly drunk, screaming, throwing things, and they were all wearing very few articles of clothing. Some of them weren't even bothering to cover their nether regions. Some were purposefully showing their nether regions in exchange for some sort of multi-colored baubles they all proudly displayed around their necks. It was madness. 

_And the most interesting part is that they are all dressed in my colors...except for the purple. That purple has to go._

As he worked his way through the crowd, more people attempted to touch his armor, his cape, his helmet, and he angrily shoved them away. Their reactions surprised him, though. They didn't even seem discouraged; it was as though they were used to being pushed around. Looking around, he realized that these interactions were happening all around him. Mortal men grabbed at mortal women, and they laughed as the women punched and kicked them, then moved on to their next victim. 

Further up the street, under a sign that read  **Huge Ass Beers to Go** , he saw a pretty little mortal with long black curly hair and bright blue eyes peeking through an emerald green feathered mask. Around her neck were several pairs of those multi-colored baubles along with a homemade cardboard sign. Its message was clear. It said:  ** _Don't fucking touch me!!!_** He wondered if the sign had been made by her or her lover, but he didn't see any male suitors around her. His curiosity was piqued, so he began to follow the mortal. 

When she turned around and began walking up the sidewalk, he saw that she was wearing black leather pants and a sleek, shiny green top that left very little to the imagination. Her back was pale and flawless under the cascade of black ringlets, and he found himself wanting to run his fingers down her spine.  _Don't fucking touch me..._ He wondered how many men had pawed her before she became desperate enough to make that crude sign. He shoved several mortals away as he tried to keep up with her. They were standing in his path, gaping at him as if they weren't dressed just as awkwardly as he was. 

He wondered idly whether all of these women were prostitutes. None of them were properly covered. Their clothing was scanty, barely hiding their breasts, and most of them wore purple, green, or gold feathered masks and feathered boas. They didn't seem to mind when strange men grabbed them; even giggling when one pulled them in for an inappropriate tongue kiss. 

_Did I fall out of Asgard into a giant Midgardian orgy? Or are all of these women prostitutes, and these men are simply trying to choose the best one?_

If that was the case, he knew which one he wanted, and she obviously didn't appreciate random groping. He would have to find another way to approach her. 

 

 

It wasn't long before he found the perfect opportunity. 

He had been watching her out of the corner of his eye while simultaneously observing the madness taking place around him. Several hundred mortals were gathered underneath a balcony where men were tossing baubles to any woman who lifted her shirt over her head. As much as he enjoyed the display itself, he couldn't help but shake his head at the idiocy of these mortal women. 

_Are they really accepting these cheap baubles as payment? I have a pocketful of gold..._

Suddenly, he caught a quick movement out of the corner of his eye, and he realized it was  _his_ mortal. She was flailing her arms; her hair tossing about wildly. 

"Read the sign,  _asshole!"_ She screamed as a tall, skinny mortal with pictures drawn all over his arms pinned her against the brick wall behind her. 

_Oh, Hel no._

A half second later, the man was dangling by his throat, struggling for breath. 

"Holy fuck," the man choked out, "Who the hell are you?"

"Ah, finally, someone has the decency to ask. I am Loki, of Asgard," he squeezed the man's throat tighter. "Now,  _READ THE SIGN_." 

"Uhhghh...I did..." 

The man pulled at Loki's hands, but it was no use. 

" _OUT LOUD!_  So I know you understand, you imbocile."

"Umm... It... It says, 'Don't f-fucking t-touch me.'"

_My first act on Midgard probably shouldn't be murder. I guess I will let this one go with a warning._

"What part of that did you not comprehend, mortal?" He threw the man onto the ground, and watched as he scrambled away holding his raw throat. 

 

Meanwhile, the pretty girl he had been admiring was cowering in the corner between the two buildings, just a few feet away from where Loki stood. She was still shivering when he hesitantly offered her his hand to help her up. Her blue eyes narrowed through the slits in her mask, and Loki was afraid she would run away, but she didn't. 

She smiled tentatively, reaching up to take his hand. 

"Thanks...that guy has been following me for four blocks."

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

_I've been following you longer than that, but you never even noticed._

"Where did you come from? Have you been to one of the balls?" The girl's eyes assessed him; taking in his helmet, his armor, and his cape, and he suddenly felt vulnerable. Loki  _detested_ feeling vulnerable. 

He frowned down at her, making her lower her gaze before realizing his behavior would not gain her trust. He reached down, gently tipping her chin with his index finger. When she looked up at him, her eyes were frightened again. 

_Why is she wandering around out here if she is such a timid creature?_

"What balls do you speak of, darling? Dances? Celebrations?"

It was a moment before she spoke, so he rubbed soothing strokes into her chin with his thumb and forefinger. He enjoyed watching how the motion made her plush bottom lip pull away from her teeth. When she finally spoke, she was wide-eyed; breathless. 

"Um... You know...Mardi Gras balls...where they present the king and queen," she swallowed, hard, then continued. "Who are you, really?"

_King? Queen? On Midgard? Where the Hel did I land? I must learn more this instant!_

Loki released her chin and took a step toward her so they were almost chest to chest, but the girl didn't move. She seemed to be mesmerized, which came as no surprise to him. He was a god, after all. 

"I was not aware you crowned a king and queen in this realm. And what is Mardi Gras? Where are we?"

The girl's face twisted into a grimace, and she took two steps back, holding her hands up. 

"Ooookay. You have had way too much to drink. Or something. I think I should be going now. Thanks for getting that thug away from me, though. I really appreciate it." 

She turned and started walking up the street. Loki knew better than to grab her. She would likely never trust him if he did, so he simply followed her. Eventually, she had to appreciate his persistence. As she walked along, he couldn't help noticing the way her hair reached all the way to the small of her back, or the way her hips swayed ever so slightly. 

_Do try not to stare at her backside. She probably won't appreciate that either._

The sights and smells were different on every new street. It was almost as if an entirely different species was in residence on each one. They were walking down a street called  **Rue Bourbon** when Loki caught sight of a young mortal man showing his nether region to another. However, that was not what captured his attention. It was the large silver ring in its head that made him cringe. 

_Why? Dear Norns, WHY?!_

He suddenly had the urge to cover himself with his hands as he walked for fear of some crazed mortal assaulting him with a large needle. 

 

A few blocks down the street, after passing through a group of people who were drinking liquor off of each others' bodies, the girl finally acknowledged his presence again. 

She whirled around, anger etched all over her pretty face; "Why are you still following me?! Don't you realize how creepy that is?"

Loki resisted the urge to chuckle, even though her anger reminded him of a tiny rabbit hissing at a predator. Instead, he held his hands up, hoping she would realize he meant her no harm. 

"I assure you I am perfectly sober. I truly have no idea where I am or what is going on here." He pulled a gold coin from one of the inner pockets inside his pants, holding it out to her. "I would like to spend some time with you, if you would allow it. I do not have any of those baubles that seem to be so popular here, but I do have this, and it is worth a lot more."

The girl took a few steps toward him, and he watched as her eyes became as wide as saucers. She gasped when she realized what he held in his hand. 

"Holy  _shit!_ Is that...is that a  _gold coin_? Like, a  _real_ one?"

"Yes," Loki answered, matter-of-factly. 

"Holy--wait, do you think I'm a  _hooker_?" She cocked her head to the side, looking at him curiously. 

"Excuse me?"

"A hooker... you know, a prostitute."

_Oh, hel...evidently, I was wrong. Why in the nine realms is she dressed that way, then?_

"Of course not, dear. I just thought maybe I would offer you something for your time," Loki improvised, hoping she wouldn't see through his lie. 

She continued to stare at him, obviously trying to decide whether he was being truthful or not. Her curiosity won out in the end, though, because she smiled at him, and he thought he would never recover from it. 

"You really aren't from here, are you?" 

"No, love. I really am lost. Would you help me, please?" Loki used his very best sad puppy face to draw her in, and it worked like a charm. It never failed him. 

"Come on, then. I'll show you all the best places around here. You said your name was Loki, right? What kind of name is that?" She laughed, and Loki bristled, but her laughter was a sweet sound, making him less likely to lash out at her for the slight. 

"It's Asgardian," he said with a slight growl. "What is your name, love?"

"Phoenix. Yes, I know it's weird. My parents are hippies," she said with a slightly annoyed tone. "What's 'Asgardian' mean? Is it a nationality? I've never heard of it before."

 "Phoenix." Loki tested her name on his lips. "I like it. What are...hippies? Is that some kind of occupation?"

Loki's confused expression amused Phoenix, and she giggled. 

"You have to answer mine first! I can't  _believe_ you don't know what hippies are! You must be from another  _planet!_ "

_Why yes. Yes I am._

 

Out of nowhere, a group of rowdy partiers slammed into Phoenix, knocking her off-balance. She shrieked, toppling from the edge of the curb where they were standing, and almost fell into the gray sludge that seemed to be seeping from the ground, but Loki was much too fast to allow that to happen. He leapt out, catching her before she hit the pavement. 

" _Damn_. That was too close, darling. These mortals are animals. Is there somewhere else we can go? Somewhere we can talk without being assaulted?"

Phoenix was hanging limp in Loki's arms, amazed at both his ability to catch her so quickly, and at the fact that he had just referred to those idiots as "mortals."

"Uh, yeah. I think I know of a place. I guess I don't have to tell you to follow me, do I?" She laughed. 

"Ehehehe..."

_I would have anyway._

Phoenix reached for his hand, and Loki took it without question. It was tiny, warm, and soft in his own, and he had to resist the urge to stroke her palm with his thumb. Now that he knew she wasn't a prostitute, he was slightly confused by the feelings she was beginning to stir inside him. He had never considered mortal women to be worth his time before, but her air of mystery combined with her sweet smile was making him reconsider his former position. 

They weaved their way through the massive crowds with minimal effort, and after a fairly short walk, Phoenix stopped in an almost abandoned alleyway. Aside from them, there were three others: a male and female, who were having drunken sex against the brick wall between the buildings, and another male, who was pleasuring himself while speaking broken French. 

Phoenix didn't seem phased by this in the least. She turned to Loki, narrowing her eyes; "Okay, here it is; you aren't planning to murder me, are you? I mean, you seem like a nice guy..."

Loki's brow furrowed, and he shook his head. "No, no. Absolutely not, darling. I really just need your help."

Phoenix beamed at him, and he felt his heart stutter in his chest. "Good. Now I can take you inside. Technically, I'm not supposed to be here, but no one will know. We are closed for Mardi Gras anyway, and who are you going to tell?" 

She pulled him along, pointing to a tiny hallway that he hadn't noticed before. Just inside the entrance was a large, round symbol that Loki did not recognize. It glowed on the brick, but it was not a separate sign. He pointed toward it, a question on his face.

"Yeah. It glows in the dark. It doesn't even show up during the day. We aren't open then anyway."

They continued on down the hall for another five or six yards until they reached the end, and Phoenix took a sharp right, then started up a steep staircase, which was almost completely dark. Loki had no trouble seeing in the darkness, but he couldn't imagine how she managed.

"How can you even make your way through this maze?"

"Oh, I'm used to it. I usually just close my eyes and feel my way along the hallway with my right hand. It's much easier that way."

"But why do they keep it so dark? Mortals can't see in these conditions," he mused.

"You keep saying  _mortals_... Well, you'll see once we get inside. This place is...a well-kept secret."

When they finally reached the top of the stairs, they turned left and traveled a short hallway until they came to a deep red door, over which hung a single lightbulb. On the door was a sign that read:  **The Dark Entry _18+_**

 


	3. Chapter 3

Phoenix unlocked the door with what appeared to be a skeleton key, and walked inside, flipping on the lights as she went. Loki followed, curious to know what could possibly be hidden in this hole-in-the-wall dungeon. 

The shop was tiny; about fifteen square feet in total, but it was absolutely full to capacity. 

 

 _Every wall is covered with different types of... torture devices... Perhaps she brought me here to kill **me.**_ _Well, that's not going to work out well for her._

 

Phoenix was watching him as he took in the contents of the room.

On one wall was a selection of leather whips ranging from a foot long to several. Some even had metal spikes on the end. Next to those was a variety of leather straps. Some had large metal buckles, and some fastened with ties, but Loki couldn't decide what those were used for. 

 

_Binding prisoners?_

 

He shook his head, turning his attention to the next wall, which displayed two life-sized dolls who were tangled together in some strange contraption that he could not comprehend, no matter what angle he viewed it.

 

"What is going through your mind right now? I can't quite read your facial expressions," Phoenix said, grinning at him.

 

Loki frowned, "So this shop...it specializes in outdated Midg-- mortal weaponry?"

 

He really didn't know any other way to word his question. Every item in the store appeared to be a torture device of some kind. However, he did not wish to sound rude.

He was surprised, however, when Phoenix doubled over laughing. He felt he should have been offended, but instead, he was enchanted by her laughter. It was a carefree, joyful sound he had not ever heard coming from his own mouth. 

 

"What is amusing you?"

Phoenix stood up, trying to catch her breath. Tears were running down her face, so she wiped them away with the back of her hand. 

"It's just...  _weaponry_?" And she fell into another fit of giggles, causing Loki to turn and ignore her; opting instead to inspect the rest of the strange merchandise. 

 

 He made his way to a glass case containing several multi-colored objects he did not recognize...at first. When he realized what he was gazing at, he let out a huff, and turned to Phoenix with a frustrated scowl on his face. 

 

"Are these... _synthetic cocks?!"_ He pointed to the items in the case, then threw his hands up.  _"_ Actually, never mind. There is more important information I wish to gain from you." 

Phoenix covered her mouth with her hand, trying desperately not to laugh. 

 

"Loki, where are you  _from_? Have you never been to a sex shop before? I mean, I work here, but admittedly I've never actually tried any of this stuff... well, that's not true. There is one thing I have tried, but that's not important right now."

She could feel the crimson flush creep up her neck and over her cheeks, and she was thankful for the cover her mask provided. She quickly changed the subject to avoid further questions from him. 

 

"Okay, so what is so important that it overrides all of your male instincts? What information do you require?"

 

Suddenly, Loki looked slightly distraught, like a child caught in a thunder storm far from his house. His eyes clouded over for a moment, and Phoenix thought he wasn't going to answer her. She walked toward him, placing her hand on his shoulder. 

"What is it? Are you really lost? How can I help?"

 

Loki sighed, pulling his helmet off, and Phoenix stared as his long raven hair toppled down onto his shoulders. She had wondered if his appeal was due to the armor he was wearing, but now she knew that was not the case.

He was drop dead gorgeous.

Again, she wondered where he came from. She had never seen a man like him around New Orleans. 

 

"Phoenix, I know you will find this difficult to believe, but I truly have no idea where I am. I know I am on Midgard, but past that I have no clue. What is going on out there? Is it a celebration of some sort, or is it always like this? And most importantly, who is the king and queen? Do I need to request an audience with them?"

 

Phoenix blinked several times before answering, still questioning whether it had been a wise decision to allow herself to be alone with him. For many reasons.

 

"First of all, we are not on mid-whatever...we are on Earth. God, seriously,  _where did you come from?_? _?"_ She paused, waiting for a reply she knew she wouldn't receive. After all, she had asked him several times already to no avail. 

"We are in New Orleans, Louisiana. The French Quarter, to be exact...if you're human, you will recognize that name. It's world famous." 

His face still showed no signs of recognition, but she continued anyway.

"And the reason for all the madness out there is Mardi Gras. It's a celebration of sorts. That's why I thought you had come from one of the balls. You look like you could be dressed for one. That's where they crown the Mardi Gras king and queen each year. It's really just a popularity contest, nothing political."

 

_I **MUST**  become King of this realm. That will show Odin. _

 

"I wish to meet with them as soon as possible. Can you arrange that for me?"

 

Phoenix did not understand why anyone would hold such a fascination with the king and queen of the Mardi Gras court, but since she knew some of the court members personally, she agreed. 

"Why the hell not?" She shrugged. 

 

Loki grinned mischievously, but Phoenix was too busy marveling over his eccentricity to notice. 

 

 

Two hours later, they were sitting on the floor behind one of the display cases. Phoenix had long since removed her mask, and she was attempting to explain the value of a good vibrator to Loki. 

 

"Well, if your mortal males did their jobs, you wouldn't need such contraptions." He reached for a large object he had been eyeballing, holding it up for her to see. "And what is this? This cannot  _possibly_ have any value."

 

Phoenix felt her face heat again. She bit her lip, trying to think of an easy way to explain the item in question. Deciding there was simply no easy way to tell him, she blurted; 

"It's a sex swing, alright?" And she closed her eyes waiting for the onslaught of new questions. 

 

"Dear Norns, is  _that_ what those dolls are all tangled up in? Ehehehe... I must admit, they do look like they are having a nice time. Have you ever tried one of those, love?" 

His question didn't even sound lewd to her; it was as if he was asking if she had tried the latest flavor of chewing gum, but Phoenix's heart was racing and her palms started to sweat.

 

"Okay, I think you are done with questions for the night. It is officially my turn."

 

"As you wish, darling."

Loki grinned, making her knees feel like rubber, but she ignored it and pressed on. 

 

 

Phoenix took a deep breath before asking her first question. She wasn't sure if he would answer it, and she wasn't sure if she wanted him to.

"Why do you keep saying 'mortals,' as if you are something else?" 

 

Loki's mouth curled at one corner, and she knew she was about to get her answer. Her heart beat wildly in her chest.

 

"Because, love, I _am_  something else."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

 

Phoenix was looking at Loki expectantly without a trace of fear on her pretty face. He had to admit; he was intrigued by a mortal woman who, after being told the man sitting beside her was not human, did not even bat an eyelash. She simply wanted to understand him, and that was  _rare_. 

"So, if you aren't mortal, what are you? Please tell me you're not one of those nutjobs claiming to be a vampire.  _Please._ "

Loki felt himself break into a huge toothy grin; "Ehehehe...No, darling. I'm definitely not a vampire." He pointed to his teeth. "See? No fangs."

Phoenix smiled as if that was the only thing she had been concerned about, but Loki had one more question for her before he continued. He cocked his head to the side; his eyebrows drawn together slightly. 

"What concerned you more, love; the thought of my being an  _actual_ vampire, or the thought of my being one of those so-called 'nutjobs' posing as one?"

She laughed; "Oh, I would much rather you be an actual vampire. That, I could live with. The posers are intolerable," she scoffed. "This city is  _crawling_ with them. I can't tell you how many of them come in here every night. It's  _beyond_ pathetic."

"So, what you're saying is that, my being immortal wouldn't bother you?" 

Loki's eyes had suddenly gone very dark, and Phoenix felt herself being swept into them. She couldn't look away no matter how hard she tried. It took her a few seconds to process what he had said. 

"You're  _immortal_? 

Loki nodded, still looking at her in that intense way that seemed to be turning her bones to liquid. 

"As in, you can  _never die_?"

"Not from aging, no."

Phoenix nodded her head slowly as if she was trying to decide if he was telling her the truth or not. 

"You never answered one of my very first questions, back when we were out on the street. What does 'Asgardian' mean? I guess it's not a nationality..." 

Once again, Loki was surprised by her tone. It was so nonchalant, he almost thought she was simply playing along with him; like a parent listening to a child's make-believe stories. 

"I am from Asgard; therefore, I am Asgardian. Does that answer your question?"

"Well, vaguely...where is Asgard? Is it another planet?" Her face was wrinkled in her confusion, and Loki had the strongest urge to reach up and stroke her forehead until the ridges there smoothed away. 

_She's just adorable. Adorable and apparently either very open-minded or clinically insane. Either way works for me._

"Asgard is another realm, darling. You see, there's Midgard, which is where we are currently; Asgard, Jotunheim, Alfheim, Vanaheim--"

"So, you're an alien," she said, cutting him off. It was a statement, not a question.

"...And your people have re-named all of the planets."

"No, no, love. Midgard is the only one that you know. The rest are not any you would be familiar with."

She smiled at him cheekily. "But you  _are_ an alien, right?"

"I guess your people might see me that way, but Asgard is the home of the gods, darling...and I am known as the God of Mischief."

Phoenix felt her mouth fall open, but she couldn't seem to stop it. Her head suddenly swirled with what little knowledge she had absorbed from her seemingly useless college history classes. She remembered bits and pieces of Norse mythology, simply because she had thought the Vikings were bad-ass, and she actually stayed awake during that segment. 

 _Holy shit. Loki, the God of Mischief_.  _In the flesh, and hot as hell._

"Okay. I need a drink now."

She rose from the floor and unlocked a cabinet under the register, pulling out a shiny black bottle. 

_I finally found her tipping point. This will be interesting._

"Do you like Absinthe?" She grinned, licking her lips. 

 

 

An hour later, Loki was holding a very tipsy Phoenix and reveling in the feel of her lying across his lap.

Although he had told her that her stash of Midgardian liquor was unlikely to have any effect on him, she had insisted on passing the bottle to him each time she had taken a gulp. Seeing as how he seemed to have a soft spot for her already, he had obliged. However, he may as well have been drinking water. 

Phoenix rolled her head over to look up at his face and smiled drunkenly. "You're really _really_  handsome. All that black hair...and I love a man in armor. Hey, why are you not wasted? Or at least buzzed. I mean, I know you said you were a god, but _come on_..."

Loki chuckled, then took a chance on brushing a few stray hairs away from her face. He knew she wouldn't be complimenting him so heavily if she were sober, but he was enjoying the attention.

She was utterly gorgeous; her formerly perfect pink lipstick was a bit smeared, making her lips even poutier, and her cheeks were flushed from the alcohol in her system. Her black curls were spread out all over his lap, and although he was trying hard not to look, her shirt was slipping off of her shoulder, revealing the top curve of one round breast. 

_Stop this instant or you'll be tangled up together just exactly like those ridiculous dolls._

"Phoenix, darling, we should really get you something to eat. How long has it been since you had anything?" 

She was still gazing up at him dreamily. "Hmmm? Oh, hours...but I'll never make it through the crowds, and the only place that serves food at this point is several blocks away."

"Not a problem, love," he said, standing up with her in his arms. "Just point me in the right direction."

_I need to get us out of this sex shop if I'm going to remain a gentleman anyway._

Phoenix giggled as Loki carried her out the door and through the massive crowds. She had never had an easier passage through the Quarter at night. No one in their right mind would want to face off with Loki. 

 

"Where am I taking you?"

"Mmmm... The House of Blues. They have the  _best_ Muffulettas in the universe! God, I can hardly wait." 

She looked up and laughed at Loki's bewildered expression; "Don't look like that. It's just a sandwich. You should try one. You'll never be the same."

"Well, if it's as good as you say it is, I'll have two," he vowed.

"If you can eat two of those, I will be shocked...Just...well, you'll see."

 

When they arrived, the restaurant was crowded, but Loki managed to sweet-talk the hostess into seating them right away. Phoenix giggled at how easily he got what he wanted, and Loki smirked at her, enjoying impressing her. 

Just minutes after they placed their order, Phoenix started pointing excitedly to something over toward the far side of the room. 

"Loki! It's the King and Queen! Look!"

He turned to see where she was pointing, and caught sight of a couple dressed in the gaudiest clothing he had ever laid eyes on. 

_Dear Norns! The King and Queen, wearing feathered boas and sequined masks? They look like a couple of peacocks during mating season. This must be rectified immediately!_

 

Loki adjusted his helmet, making sure it was perfectly straight, and rose from the table. 

 

"Darling, I will be back in a few moments. I wish to have a word with the King."

 


	5. Chapter 5

Loki strolled across the restaurant with purpose. He was horrified by a King and Queen who would drape themselves in such obnoxiously cheap garbage. Several mortals turned to stare at him as he passed them by, but he was zeroed in on his prey. When the King turned to look in his direction, he was caught in Loki's emerald stare almost immediately. 

Loki reeled him in with a crook of his finger and the King obeyed without question. 

He was a rather short man with a crooked nose and a ruddy complexion that was mostly covered by a badly groomed beard and mustache. He wore a garish white cape edged with goose down over a gold tunic that was covered in jewels.

Loki could spot the dull shimmer of a fake stone from across the room, and he knew these were very cheap. Atop the King's head sat the most atrocious crown Loki had ever seen; it was 6" tall, gold, and adorned with synthetic diamonds, emeralds, and topaz. Then, there was that horrid purple feathered boa. 

The King smiled at Loki as though his assessment was going well. 

_Oh, yes. You are something to behold._

"Wow. Great costume! Where did you buy that helmet?" 

Loki narrowed his eyes. "I built it myself," he sneered, eyeing him up and down. "What kind of King leaves his throne dressed like that? How are you to rule your people if you are wearing such atrocities?"

The King looked like Loki had slapped him, but recovered quickly. "Well, I admit, it's not finery by anyone's standards, but it  _is_ just a costume, after all," he chuckled. 

"A  _costume_? Your appearance is as important as your policies, which, judging by the state of you, I'd say are also lacking forethought. How ever did you manage to gain your throne,  _your majesty_?"

_Probably in the same way Thor will; blind favoritism._

At this point, the King was staring at Loki with a mixture of confusion, fear, and amusement. Several people around them were also watching the confrontation with wide eyes, but before the conversation could deteriorate any further, Phoenix stumbled toward them and bumped into Loki. 

"Hey, you sexy  _As-gar-di-an_ ," she drew out the word in her drunken state, "our food has arrived. Come and eat with me? I don't wanna be all alone over there."

She leaned on him, incidentally rubbing her breast against his arm, and he suddenly lost all of his indignation. Standing in the middle of the restaurant confronting an ugly little man in a frilly costume wasn't very appealing anymore, so he snaked his arm around her and helped her back to the table.

"What were you doing over there? You've been gone forever," Phoenix pouted. 

Loki felt a stab of remorse for leaving her alone, especially in her intoxicated state.

"I'm so sorry, love. I guess I got carried away. Where I come from, a king has more respect for his people than to go out in public dressed like that," he said, gesturing toward the Mardi Gras king. 

Phoenix looked at him, then started to giggle. "You do realize that he's not a  _real_ king, right? I mean, it's really just a tradition. He's not like the ruler of New Orleans or anyhing."

Loki's mouth fell open. " _What? Why didn't you stop me?_ I look like a world-class fool now!" 

"I didn't know...honestly. I thought you just wanted to meet him!" She giggled some more, and Loki glared at her.

"Stop it, Phoenix. It's not funny," Loki admonished, but he couldn't help smiling at her. She looked so cute, he started to laugh a little himself. 

"I can't believe it. The first thing I do when I arrive on Midgard is verbally assault a random mortal for wearing an ugly costume."

"Well, you  _are_ the God of Mischief..." Phoenix grinned. 

 

 

"Do you think you can make it through the crowds now if you hold onto me, love?" 

Phoenix smiled at the way he called her 'love,' wondering if it was just some strange Asgardian custom, or if it was something unique to Loki himself. She hoped it was the latter because she found it incredibly endearing. 

"Yeah. I'm good now, although I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed my ride earlier," she winked, blushing furiously. 

Loki smirked at her, feeling the urge to sweep her into his arms again. 

"I still can't believe you managed to eat two of those sandwiches! They're  _huge!_ If I hadn't been convinced you weren't human before, I am now."

"I have a feeling I am going to develop an unhealthy addiction to those...what did you call them? Muffulettas? That was, without a doubt, the best sandwich I have ever had. Thank you for introducing me to them, dearest."

"You're welcome!" She smiled brightly. "So, where do you want to go next? Or are you tired? Do you even sleep? Do you have a place to go? I didn't even think to ask..."

They were standing at the corner of one of the less populated streets, so Loki pulled Phoenix to him, wrapping his arms around her waist. 

"You certainly ask a lot of questions, love." Phoenix's breath caught in her throat at the feel of his hands on her and the intensity of his gaze. 

"I am not tired at all, so we can go wherever you like... I do sleep, but not as often as you probably do."

He paused, not knowing exactly how to answer her last question. The truth was, he had no idea where he would stay. Odin had dropped him out of Asgard with nothing, as if he couldn't care less what happened to his youngest son. 

Phoenix looked at him with concern in her eyes. "You have nowhere to go, do you?"

Loki smiled sadly; "No, darling, I don't." 

Her mouth quirked into a tiny grin. "Come stay with me, then. I know you're a god, but you still need a place to crash. It'll be a blast!"

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to intrude."

_Especially if we end up naked, which is exactly how we are in my mind at this very moment._

"I insist. Besides, how many chances will I get to entertain the God of Mischief?" 

Loki grinned mischievously before swooping down and swinging a delighted Phoenix into his arms once more.

"Well, then, the least I can do is give you another ride through the streets." 

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

Loki had no idea when it was time to retire for the night on Midgard, so he was relying on Phoenix to let him know. It was dark, and it seemed to be fairly late, but the streets were still full of mortals, so he guessed it was not time yet.

"What is next on the agenda, darling?" he asked, looking down at Phoenix, who was still happily hanging onto his neck. She giggled, and he could feel her body wriggling against his. It made him deliciously uncomfortable.

"Well, we could always just go walk around and see what kind of mischief we can get into," she winked. "I'm sure that won't be a problem for you, will it?"

"Ehehehe... Oh, no love. I  _make_ mischief. I don't have to go looking for it." 

The dark look in Loki's eyes made Phoenix's knees weak, and she was glad she wasn't responsible for holding herself up at the moment.

Just then, something caught Loki's attention, and his mouth fell open. "What in Odin's name? Is that supposed to be a  _shirt_?" 

Phoenix instinctively knew what he had spotted before she ever laid eyes on the tall, bleached blonde woman. "Uh, yeah. There's a shop a few streets over that does airbrushing. They paint shirts on women...it's so the women can go topless without getting arrested by the pony cops."

Loki was mesmerized. The woman was walking around half-naked, and no one cared. From a distance, she appeared to be wearing a tight shirt with a very intricate design on it. However, when she came closer, it was painfully obvious that she had no support. Her nipples were protruding, and her breasts bounced with every step she took. 

"No one cares that she is...nude? And what is a pony cop?" Phoenix giggled again, and Loki decided that, naked or not, the woman in his arms was far more attractive to him than anyone walking down the street. The thought frightened him more than he cared to admit to himself. 

"No one  _notices_. With everything else that goes on around here, that woman is the least of their problems... and the pony cops are just police officers on horseback. It's the easiest way for them to get around down here." 

 "I must see one of these so-called pony cops immediately! You mortals are  _fascinating_." 

Phoenix wasn't entirely sure how to respond to that. She wasn't sure if it was an insult or not, so she just smiled and shook her head. 

"Well, we can look for one, or we can draw them out. Your choice, although the latter is a  _lot_ more fun."

"I'm always up for fun, darling," he winked. 

"Alright... but just so you know, everyone is going to think I'm going down on you..." 

Loki almost dropped Phoenix right there in the street, but he recovered quickly. 

 _Norns, this girl is going to bring about my death._  

Phoenix didn't seem to notice his reaction, and Loki was thankful. "You'll have to put me down, and we'll have to find a dark corner somewhere...just secluded enough to make it believable, but not so secluded that no one cares."

Loki's heart was pounding in his chest as Phoenix grabbed his hand and led him up the street. She pulled him into a corner between two daquiri shops in a moderately populated area.

"Okay. You stand here with your back to the street, and I'm going to kneel down in front of you. I might grab your ass or something, just so you know. Make it look real. We'll have pony cops all over us in a few minutes' time," she laughed. "They'll be so disappointed when they find out I was just adjusting your boot strap."

_You grab my ass and all bets are off, darling._

"I can't believe I'm doing this just so you can see a pony cop. You should feel special, you know. I wouldn't do this for just anyone," Phoenix said, smiling up at him. 

Phoenix lowered herself into a kneeling position in front of him, placing her hands on his thighs for balance, and Loki thought his heart would stop. She looked up at him through her lashes and smiled; a mischievous look in her eyes. 

"Make it look good," she whispered. Then she ran her hands around to the back of his legs, bringing them up to squeeze his ass. Loki was suddenly very thankful for the long leather flap that covered his crotch. He sighed, allowing his head to fall back onto his shoulders. 

Phoenix knew she had made a mistake. She knew Loki looked sexy in all that black leather, but now that she had felt his strong thighs and muscular ass, she wanted him. She  _really_ wanted him. A tiny whimper escaped her lips, and she hoped he thought she was just playing the game. 

_Gods, that girl knows how to act. Whimpering? Really Phoenix?_

A few painfully arousing seconds passed, and then Loki heard the sound of hooves coming up behind him. 

"Alright you two. Show's over. Stand up and put your hands where I can see them." 

The pony cop was a portly man wearing a blue shirt, gold badge, navy pants, and the most hideous hat Loki had ever seen. 

Phoenix stood, raising both hands in the air. Loki turned around and held his hands where the man could see them. He felt ridiculous surrendering to a man who was so much less powerful than he was, but he knew this was all for fun. 

"Oh, hi officer. I'm so sorry. I just realized how this looks...I was adjusting his boot strap, you see. It came undone out in the street. See? He's fully clothed." She smiled up at the man, and he frowned, taking in her appearance before nodding. 

"I see. Well, you can understand why I had to check, right?" 

"Yes, sir. Absolutely!" Phoenix was so polite, but Loki just wanted the man to leave. He was so aroused from Phoenix's little game, he could hardly keep his eyes off of her. 

"Okay, then. Have a nice night, and stay out of trouble." He rode away, and Phoenix burst into a fit of giggles. "Are you happy now, Loki? You've seen a pony cop!" She giggled some more. 

However, when she looked up at Loki's face, his pupils had almost swallowed all of the color in his eyes. He was gazing at her with such lust, she lost her breath. 

Loki watched as Phoenix's lips parted, her cheeks flushed, and she started to breathe heavier.

He knew she wanted him too.

He reached up, taking her face in one hand; her waist in the other. 

"Loki..." she whispered, as he gently backed her against the brick facade behind them.

Seconds later, his mouth was on hers; tasting her sweetness. She moaned into his mouth, and he couldn't help but grin a little. 

_At least her little sign doesn't seem to apply to me..._

He moved his hands down her sides; caressing her hips, and she seemed to be emboldened by it. She moved her hands to his chest, and even though she couldn't really reach much through his armor, her touch still gave him chills.

He continued to kiss her until she was breathless while running his fingers through her hair. 

"Loki? We need to get out of the street...or that cop will be back," she panted into his mouth. He pulled back just enough, allowing his lips to brush hers as he spoke.

"Where will we go?" He gently nudged his thigh between her legs, and kissed down the side of her neck while she formulated a plan. 

"You're staying with me anyway. Let's just go home. I live just a few blocks over...oh, God... you have to stop that, or we won't make it there..."

"Ehehehe..."


	7. Chapter 7

Phoenix took Loki's hand, leading him in the direction of her apartment. However, they hadn't made it two blocks before she stopped without warning causing Loki to collide with her backside. 

" _Dammit!_ " She whirled around, almost stepping on Loki's boots. 

"I'm so sorry, darling. I didn't mean to bump into you that way, but you really should give me some indication if you plan to stop." 

Phoenix laughed; "No, it's not that. Actually, I didn't mind that at all. It's just that, in my earlier drunken state, I forgot my apartment key at the shop. We'll have to go back there to get it." 

She fished the skeleton key out of her leather pants, holding it up. "See? I managed to get this one, but I left my apartment key there. Damn, damn,  _damn!"_

_So now you'll have to control yourself with her, a huge erection, and a room full of sex toys. Not great odds._

"I'm so sorry. I'll bet you're tired of following me around..." She suddenly looked sad, and Loki had an uncontrollable urge to show her exactly how much he enjoyed following her around. He grabbed her by her waist, pulling her into his body and kissed her. Her arms hung limp at her sides, but she let out a tiny whimper, letting him know she was enjoying herself. 

"I hardly ever get tired, and I promise you that I am loving every minute of this. My only concern is that we are going back to that store filled with contraptions designed for pleasure, and I will be unable to control myself around you." 

Phoenix drew in a quick breath at his words and the intense look in his eyes. She had never really wanted to experiment with those  _contraptions_ before, but something about him was making her want to do just that. _Right now._

"Don't you worry about that...I'm not going to be offended or anything," she winked, and Loki felt his pants become even tighter. 

 

By the time they arrived back at  _The Dark Entry_ , Phoenix had already imagined countless scenarios between them, and she hoped at least one of them actually happened. Otherwise, she was going to need to stop at the drug store for some new batteries. She unlocked the door, flipping on the lights, and almost immediately felt Loki's breath on the back of her neck.

"So tell me; which one of these contraptions have you tried, love?" he whispered against the sensitive flesh on her neck, sending shivers down her body. 

"Um...well, I have one of those...vibrators over there," she said, blushing. "Why?"

"Can you show me how it works? You are my tour guide, after all..." His voice was like melted chocolate. She could feel his arousal pressing against her backside, and she wanted to touch him so badly. 

"I guess I could, but those are used for more...solitary activities." 

"Ehehehe...I see. Well, then...you can still show me how it works, and I can test my knowledge on you," he winked, then began kissing down her neck, enjoying the sound of her breath catching in her throat. 

"If--if we use it, we-- _Oh God-_ \- we have to--pay for it..." Phoenix could barely get out a full sentence with Loki's mouth on her neck and his hands caressing her waist. He snaked one hand around to tease her lower back, making her squirm against him.

"I'm fairly certain I can cover it, darling," he muttered, nipping at her shoulder and pushing her tiny shirt strap down her arm. Phoenix was alarmed at how quickly he had managed to arouse her. In her very limited experience, the men were typically ready to go, and she was still contemplating watching TV instead. Loki had her panting, ready to tear his clothing off with her teeth. 

She began trying to undress him, but quickly realized that she had no idea where to start. Everything on his body was either leather or some kind of metal.  _And so damn hot._  

When fumbling with the buckle across his chest didn't do any good, she became frustrated and pulled hard on the strap so he crashed against her. 

" _How do I get this stuff off of you?"_  Loki smirked at her, chuckling. "Impatient little thing, aren't you?"

However, when he saw the lust in her eyes, he pulled her trembling hands to his lips, kissing them one by one before helping her. Phoenix watched as he removed his helmet, and his hair tumbled onto his shoulders in big raven waves. He then began methodically removing leather straps, which held larger pieces of armor. She couldn't help running her hands over his chest as each layer was taken away. Before long, he was standing before her in a dark green tunic and those black leather pants. 

"Alright, love. We're even now," Loki murmured.

Phoenix was busy staring at the small triangle of his pale chest that was visible at the top of his tunic. She reached up, running her index finger down his throat to the edge of the fabric, and he let out a sound akin to a growl. Suddenly, he had both hands on her hips, and he was backing her up against the nearest wall. He pinned her against it, pushing his knee between her legs and claiming her lips once again. 

Loki ran his hands up from her hips and pulled her shirt up and over her head, bringing his mouth down to lick at her nipples. He lifted his head just long enough to mutter;

"No undergarments? I  _like_ that."   

"This shirt... _ahh_... just doesn't... _oh..._ work with a bra." 

Phoenix ran her hands underneath Loki's tunic, and was rewarded with a sharp  _hiss_ from him. As she worked her way up his stomach to his chest, she realized why he was so strong. He was all muscle. Not bulky, bodybuilder muscle. Long, lithe, natural muscle. She could feel every little movement under his skin as he breathed. She searched around for a few seconds, finding one taut nipple, hoping he wouldn't mind her teasing it. She rubbed it with her finger, and when he moaned against her chest, she pinched it lightly. 

" _Good Gods..."_  

With that encouragement, Phoenix pulled his tunic over his head, and latched onto one nipple while teasing the other with her fingers. Loki's head fell back on his shoulders as he moaned; his hands knotted in her hair. Soon, he was pushing her pants down over her hips, grinding himself into her, and groaning. She stepped out of her pants and began untying his when he caught her hands. 

"You don't have to do this, you know." His eyes were full of lust, but she could see that he was willing to stop if that was her wish. 

"I want to. I have wanted you since you saved me from that asshole on the street."

She worked his pants down, and Loki grasped her waist, lifting her up to push her against the wall. He held her with one arm while reaching down between her legs with the other. Phoenix felt his fingers brush against her, and she arched into them. She was already so aroused that the smallest touch would send her over the edge. Loki sucked and nipped at her neck, then slipped a finger inside her, curling it so that he was pressing on her sensitive walls. As soon as his thumb brushed her clit, she came hard; clawing at his back with her fingers, and calling out. 

 _"Oh, God..."_ Phoenix couldn't believe how quickly he had pushed her to climax. She leaned her head on his chest to catch her breath and he pushed the sweaty strands of hair away from her face. 

 Phoenix pointed to a doorway behind the cash register. "There's a couch in the break room..." 

When Loki gave her a questioning look, she pressed her lips to his in a harsh kiss. "I want you.  _Now._ " 

She could feel his erection pressing against her while he held her against the wall, and all she could think of now was having him inside her. Loki didn't even bother setting her down, he simply carried her into the other room and gently laid her on the couch, settling himself between her legs. Phoenix reached down, grasping his length and enjoying the sound of his low groan. She watched the muscles in his stomach clench as she stroked him slowly; his head dropping down, his breath coming in shallow gasps. Phoenix was so mesmerized by his body and his response to her that she would have gladly made him come just like that, but Loki soon grabbed her wrists, stopping her.

Loki pulled her hands above her head, lacing his fingers with hers before leaning over her body, licking up her neck and kissing her roughly. She felt his erection nudging her entrance, and she whimpered, lifting her hips, attempting to get him inside her. He shifted so both of her wrists were locked into one of his big hands, reaching down to touch her. 

"Mmm, so ready." 

Then, without warning, he pushed into her, making her cry out in pleasure. Phoenix hadn't realized just how big he was until he was sliding into her. She was almost certain he would reach her bottom before he ever fully sheathed himself, but soon he stilled and she realized he had. She was panting from being filled so completely, and he was looking at her with concern etched on his face. 

"Have I hurt you, love?" 

"Dear God... _no._ "  

Loki let out a sigh of relief and began to slowly move his hips while kissing and suckling Phoenix's neck. With every thrust, she gasped, arching into him. Loki was encouraged by her body's response, and he released her wrists to grasp her hips so he could push harder, deeper. 

 _"Oh fuck, Loki!"_ Phoenix moaned, and Loki almost lost control listening to her. "If you keep that up, this won't last long, darling." 

He reached between them to circle her clit with his thumb, and he felt her body begin to tremble. Her already tight walls clenched around him as he thrust harder into her, and she threw her head back in a silent scream as she came. When he felt the last of her tiny tremors, he heard his name leave her lips, and he couldn't hold back any longer. Loki held onto Phoenix and groaned loudly as he emptied himself inside her. 

"I can't believe you wanted to use a vibrator. I've never had an orgasm that quickly with a vibrator. Actually, I'm pretty sure you've ruined me for vibrators...and maybe even mortal men. What am I supposed to do now?" 

Loki smirked; "I guess you'll just have to keep me around, love."


	8. Chapter 8

Phoenix sighed contentedly, wondering just how long she was allowed to  _keep_ the god who was currently wrapped around her naked body. Knowing that was not generally considered to be a good conversation to have right after sex, she just lay there enjoying the afterglow. Loki turned his head, kissing her cheek tenderly. 

"What's going through your mind right now, love? You haven't been this quiet since we met." He continued to nuzzle her neck, his hair falling around her shoulders, tickling her face in the most delicious way. 

"It's nothing, really. I was just enjoying the moment, but if you keep doing that, we're going to end up right back where we started." 

Loki looked up with a wicked gleam in his eyes that seemed to set Phoenix ablaze.

"Why do you think I'm doing it, darling? I need to learn as much as I can about this realm, and I would like to start with the collection of pleasure tools in that room," he winked. 

 _Fuck. I am not getting out of this alive._  

He continued down her neck, biting and sucking at the soft skin on her shoulders until she was breathing hard once again. His hands roamed down her body, caressing her breasts before moving down to her waist. 

"See, the only problem... is that I don't have any firsthand knowledge of any of those things..." 

His face was between her breasts; his hair tickling her nipples as he moved down toward her belly. 

"Alright. I confess. I'm not really looking for instruction...I just want you. We can try them out together...say yes, love. Please?" He punctuated his request by spreading her thighs and running his tongue from her entrance to her clit in one tantalizing lick. 

_"Yes...Please!"_

"Ehehehe...Shall I continue?"  Phoenix whimpered in response, and Loki grinned. "I have an even better idea..." He rose from the couch and walked into the other room, leaving Phoenix feeling almost desperate for his touch. Seconds later, however, he returned holding something behind his back. 

Phoenix watched as Loki knelt back down on the couch, his pale skin almost glowing in the dim light. He was beautiful. There was no other word to describe him. 

"I do hope you like green," he smiled dangerously, holding up one of the  _synthetic cocks_ , as he had so eloquently named them. He grasped her ankles, pulling them up onto his shoulders before nipping and kissing the insides of both of her thighs until she thought she would hyperventilate. When he finally reached her core again, he licked her once before slipping his tongue in her entrance. Phoenix gripped the sides of the couch and arched into him, gasping his name.  _"Loki..."_  

Loki's tongue moved slowly in and out, then up to her clit over and over again until Phoenix was a panting, squirming, begging mess. Loki knew she was ready to burst, but he kept pushing her to the edge only to pull her back again. He felt her entire body trembling underneath him, and when he looked to her face, he could see tears forming in her eyes. 

 _"Loki...please..."_  

Loki rubbed the toy against her sex, letting her wetness spread over it, enjoying the sounds of her tortured moans. Then he slipped it inside her, watching as her mouth fell open and her eyes fluttered closed. He slowly thrust it in and out a few times before claiming her clit with his mouth. Phoenix was trembling so violently, Loki had to use his other hand to hold her hips down. She sucked in a few deep breaths, and he felt her entire body tense before she released; not once, but three times. And all three times, he heard her hiss his name through her clenched teeth. It was the sexiest thing he had ever witnessed. 

"Phoenix, I... I want to be inside you," Loki groaned as he gently lowered her legs from his shoulders. 

 Her eyes were still tightly closed, but her breathing was slowly returning to normal. However, she wasn't answering him, and he was afraid she was angry with him for edging her so much. "Phoenix?"

"I've never had  _anything_ that intense before... _three. In a row, Loki._ " The amazed look on her face made him laugh. "You didn't know you were capable of multiple orgasms, dear?" 

"No! I'm usually barely capable of reaching one... I'm sorry. You're probably suffering, and I'm rambling. Take me. Wherever you want.  _However_ you want. I am all yours."

"Thank the gods," Loki muttered, scooping Phoenix into his arms and carrying her to the other room. He set her down on the only sturdy countertop in the store, pulling her to the edge so she could wrap her legs around him. 

"Your taste is so arousing, dear. Would you like to see for yourself? Would you like to see why I am so hard for you right now?" His voice was a low growl, and Phoenix could feel herself grow wet again just from the sound alone. She nodded, unable to find her own voice. 

Loki slipped a finger inside her, teasing her entrance and making her pant. Then, he removed it, bringing it to his lips and licked it clean before claiming her mouth. Phoenix moaned into his mouth, digging her nails into his back, suddenly desperate to have him again. Loki pulled her hips toward him and entered her in one swift thrust, groaning into her neck. This time, he wasn't as gentle, but Phoenix was more than ready for him. He wrapped his arms around her back and thrust hard into her, making her gasp each time he hit her g-spot. Loki bit and sucked at her throat, leaving purple marks all over her sensitive flesh, but the mixture of pleasure and exquisite pain only brought her higher. 

 _"Fuck, Phoenix, you are so delicious,"_ Loki growled, his thrusts hard and fast, and Phoenix couldn't hold back any longer. She threw her head back and felt herself clenching around him, his name tumbling from her lips over and over again. He kept up his pace until she had finished, then withdrew from her.

Loki turned her around, grasping her hips, and entered her from behind. He put one hand on her upper back, pushing her down onto the countertop, and snaked one hand around her waist so he was rubbing at her clit. Then slowly, tantalizingy, he began to thrust again, hitting her exactly where she needed it. She couldn't help moaning loudly, begging;  _"Loki! Oh...Oh, fuck, Loki...Harder... Oh, please!"_

When she started to tremble from need, he took his hand away from her back, placing it around her waist, and began to thrust hard. With his thumb pressed against her clit, she came again, over and over. As she called out his name, gripping the edge of the countertop as if it were the edge of a cliff, Loki found his release, shouting her name and emptying himself inside her. 

 Just as Loki expected, Phoenix fell limp in his arms, so he carried her back to the couch where they lay panting in an attempt to catch their breath. Loki lay beside her, holding her tightly and allowing her to recover. He knew she would need time to do so, being mortal. 

_Don't lie to yourself. You know you're enjoying it....Damn._

After some time had passed, Phoenix raised her head to look at him. "Are you hungry? It's probably close to morning by now. We should find somehing to eat and go to my place. Do you have anything to wear that isn't so...conspicuous?"

"Ah...no."

"That's okay. I can get somehing for you to wear until we can get you some clothes. I mean, the armor is awesome, but if you're going to assimilate with the  _mortals_ , you're going to need some jeans." 

 

When they left the shop, Loki was wearing his leather pants along with a t-shirt bearing the store logo, and carrying a bag filled with his armor.


	9. Chapter 9

As they left the shop, Phoenix felt around in her pocket making sure she had her apartment keys. Loki, noticing her distraction, took the opportunity to swipe a few interesting items from around the room, tossing them into his bag along with his armor. 

"Okay. I have my keys, so now we can go find some breakfast. I'm starved." 

"Thank the gods. I would hate to have a repeat of last night," Loki smirked, waggling his eyebrows at her. Phoenix giggled and swatted him on the ass as he walked out the door in front of her. 

 

Phoenix was pleased when Loki took her hand as they walked down the street together. She had no idea where this tryst was going, but she was enjoying his company, and would probably never have satisfying sex with another mortal man again.

They pushed through the crowds with less hassle than the night before, but there were still hundreds of people in the streets. Loki seemed amused that the party was still going strong during the daylight hours, so she explained that the festival didn't last forever. 

"Mardi Gras ends on Tuesday night at midnight, so the hard-core partiers stay here for the duration. They just stay drunk the entire time. It's actually pretty gross." 

"Tuesday at midnight? That seems awfully specific," he chuckled, "Do the pony cops just toss everyone out at that time?" 

"Yeah, they do. See, Wednesday is a religious day, so it's illegal for them to continue after midnight. It's all very complicated if you ask me. I was raised by hippies, so we didn't do the whole Catholic thing." 

Loki stopped walking, forcing Phoenix to stop as well. "Alright, my beautiful tour guide; I have two very important questions: One,  _what are hippies_? I asked you that before when you mentioned your parents, but we were interrupted, and now I am dying to know. And Two," he pointed to the grey mushy substance that oozed down the street next to the curb, "What in Odin's name is  _that_?"

Phoenix blushed at his nickname for her, then giggled because he was so curious about hippies and grey sludge. She was at a loss for words for a moment.  _How do I explain hippies to someone from another realm?_  

"Hippies are a bit hard to explain...can I tell you about the grey shit first, and we'll discuss hippies over beignets and coffee?" 

"Sure, darling. Although now you've added another question to the list. What is a beignet?" 

Phoenix grabbed his arm excitedly; "Oooh, they're  _amazing!_ They're these wonderful little deep-fried slices of heaven rolled in powdered sugar. You can only get them in New Orleans, so you chose a great place to land. Is that what you did? Did you land here?"

Loki chuckled; "No, no. You're not changing the subject now, love. When I get my answers, I will give you some of yours. Now, shall we? Those beignets sound delicious, and I am rather hungry. You can tell me about the grey  _shit_ on the way," he grasped her hand again, gently rubbing his thumb across her palm as they walked. 

"My friends and I have a theory about the grey sludge. I must warn you, though; it's disgusting." Loki shrugged, so she continued. "Well, it's only here during Mardi Gras, and it gets worse and worse the longer the party goes on... so we  _think_ it's a mixture of booze, vomit, bodily fluids, garbage, and other excrement that has coagulated around the curbs. I mean, if you consider the sheer number of people in the streets every day, it makes sense. And that stuff smells  _awful._ " 

Loki wrinkled his nose. "No offense, but mortals can be rather disgusting. That disgraceful mess would never be allowed on Asgard." 

"None taken! That stuff is appalling," Phoenix paused, sniffing the air, "Smell that?"   Loki gave her a look, then turned his face to the wind. 

"Norns, what is that?" 

"That, mischief maker, is the sweet, sweet smell of New Orleans beignets. And it's coming from just across the street. Let's go!" 

 

When Loki and Phoenix were finally seated at a little table inside the famed  ** _Cafe Du Monde_** , Loki simply sat looking at Phoenix expectantly. 

"What?" 

 _"Hippies,_ Phoenix _._ You  _promised."_  

"Well, at least take a bite of your beignet first, and tell me what you think," she smiled.

Loki irritably picked one off of the plate and took a bite, but as soon as it hit his tongue, his eyes glazed over. Phoenix recognized that look immediately; it was the beignet coma. Loki swallowed, taking another bite, then another, moaning as he ate. People at the adjacent table looked over at him and started to laugh. 

"First timer, huh?" One of the ladies asked. Phoenix smiled and nodded, barely containing her amusement. 

When he had eaten almost an entire plate full, Loki looked up, his mouth covered with powdered sugar;

"We must order more of these."

"I'm on it," Phoenix told him, getting up from her seat and walking to the counter. 

When she returned, Loki smiled at the fresh pile of beignets she brought, and made a motion for her to start talking. So, with a mouthful of pastry, Phoenix attempted to explain the free love movement to the God of Mischief. 

 

"So, mortals protest large battles by burning undergarments, ironing their hair, wearing ugly clothing, and having group sex in public?" 

 Phoenix stared at Loki for a long moment before deciding that she couldn't have explained it better herself. 

"Yep. That's exactly what they did." 

" _Why?_ On Asgard, warriors are proud to fight for their land. Asgardians wouldn't even think of degrading them by protesting their efforts."

"Honestly, I wasn't even a twinkle in my father's eye yet, so I have no clue. I think it had a lot to do with the draft."

Phoenix could see the question forming before Loki even opened his mouth, so she went on to explain the draft before he had a chance. 

"Ah. I see now. Perhaps our people _would_ protest such things. Midgardians should learn to prepare their warriors from birth to prevent such measures. If I ruled Midgard, you wouldn't have that problem..." Loki's face was suddenly solemn; thoughtful.

  _Is he scheming?_

 

While Phoenix paid for their meal, Loki wandered outside the small cafe to wait for her. He had planned to simply stand on the corner and behave himself, but something down the street caught his eye. There was a sign outside a shop that read: 

**Marie Laveau's House of Voodoo**

**Strange Gods, Strange Altars**

Loki was immediately intrigued by the shop's claim. 

 _Strange Gods? This, I have to see._  

He didn't even bother looking behind him as he strolled down the street toward the tiny shop. As he entered the wooden structure, his senses were assaulted by a combination of low lighting, thick incense, and thousands of tiny dolls hanging all over the walls. 

"Are these supposed to be  _Gods_?" He asked no one in particular. 

Just as he reached out to touch one of the figures, a curvy, dark-skinned woman with long dreadlocks stepped out of the back room, glaring at him. 

"'Dis one lies, but, eh... he does it so well," she said in a heavy creole accent.

The sound of the door closing behind him made Loki jump, and he turned to see Phoenix standing there, hands on her hips. 

"Yeah. He does lie. He said he was going to wait for me outside Cafe Du Monde!"  

 

 


	10. Chapter 10

Loki was momentarily stunned by the creole woman's words, so Phoenix's apparent irritation had little effect on him. He turned back to the woman, inspecting her carefully before speaking. She didn't  _look_ like a goddess or someone with any special abilities, but she had managed to judge his character quite well in a matter of seconds. 

"Who are you?" Loki asked, staring down his nose at the woman. 

She cocked her head to the side, raising one perfectly tweezed eyebrow at him. 

"I am Madame Laveau. And you...You not from 'round here," she said, narrowing her eyes at him. He heard Phoenix laugh behind him, and he turned to look at her. 

"I am so sorry, darling. I didn't mean to leave you behind. I saw this place, and I couldn't help myself. I thought I would just walk down for a moment and come right back." 

"Well, you know what they say, curiosity killed the cat..." 

Loki looked at her, more confused than ever.

"Curiosity killed your cat? How?"

Phoenix rolled her eyes at him, clearly still a bit peeved that he had wandered away from her. 

"No... it's just a saying. Don't worry about it. Are we going home or not?" 

"What? Oh, yes darling. I was only going to ask Madame Laveau here about the...g _ods_ mentioned on her sign."

Phoenix huffed audibly, knowing Loki had just opened up a bottomless can of worms. She watched the woman's eyes light up as she sashayed toward Loki, and she felt a stab of jealousy, though she wasn't sure why.

Madame Laveau was at least ten years older than Phoenix, and  _appeared_ to be several years older than Loki. She wore a long broomstick skirt that had tiny tinkling bells on the bottom, and a tight tank top that allowed her substantial cleavage plenty of room to breath fresh air. She wasn't an unattractive woman by any means, but her presentation left a lot to be desired. Of course, that was just Phoenix's unbiased opinion. 

 _Unbiased. Right._ _You're totally hooked on that man. God. Whatever he is._   _Fuck._

"You interested in de Gods eh cher?" Madame Laveau batted her eyelashes at him, moving little closer. 

 _Oh she did NOT just call him cher._  

Loki didn't react to her obvious flirtations, though. He simply shrugged his shoulders and observed her warily. 

"I suppose. Are these the...g _ods_ you are referring to?" Loki gestured to the voodoo dolls hanging haphazardly around the room. 

"Oh, no no no, cher. Those are just de dolls we use to commune with de gods. You choose a doll based on your desire, and den you use de doll to tell dem what you want." 

_I swear to de Gods, if she calls him cher one more time..._

"Ehehehe...you expect me to believe that I have to use a little stuffed  _dolly_ to communicate with the  _gods_? You have to be  _joking_. This is some Midgardian mindtrickery."

He turned to Phoenix; "You don't actually believe in this, do you?" 

Phoenix laughed at him. "No way! You're the one who wandered in here! Can we  _please_ go home now?"

Madame Laveau crossed her arms and glared at a smirking Loki as he turned to take Phoenix's hand. As they walked out the door, they could hear her cursing at him in French. 

_Fous le camps et morte! Ane!_

"I do hope you weren't planning to go back there anytime soon, love..." Loki looked at Phoenix and grinned sheepishly. 

"I've never been in there before, Loki. Those places are ridiculous. If you're really interested in voodoo, I can take you to the right place, but it's not exactly safe."

Loki looked at her, a bemused expression on his face. He wasn't completely sure how he had managed to stumble on her; the single most interesting person he had ever met, when idiotic mortals were all around them. The odds of meeting her had been slim to none, and while he recognized the fact that he had followed her, he also realized that he could have followed anyone for the same reason; he found her attractive. There were plenty of attractive mortals, but none of them were  _interesting_. 

"Don't you worry about that, darling. I'll keep you safe." He pulled her into his side, wrapping his arm around her waist. 

_Yes. That's where she belongs._

 

When they arrived at Phoenix's apartment, Loki was pleasantly surprised by how quiet her neighborhood was in comparison to the French Quarter. The street was well kept, and the sidewalk was clean. There were little row houses all along one side, and two-story apartments on the other. Phoenix rented a small brick two bedroom townhouse on the left side of the street. Loki immediately noticed her flower boxes on each of the windows. They overflowed with huge multi-colored blooms, and he wondered if she kept them up herself. 

"Those flowers are exquisite. Did you plant them yourself?" 

Phoenix giggled, surprised that he would notice her flowers, of all things. "Yeah. I just really like having them there. And I guess I like taking care of something. I'm not home enough to have a dog or a cat, so I have plants. Those are petunias. They grow really well down here because they like the heat and they thrive in direct sunlight."

Loki looked sad for a moment. He had a faraway look in his eyes, and his eyebrows knit together as though he was trying to remember something very specific. 

"My mother has the most beautiful garden in all of Asgard. She loves to tend it herself as well. The servants try to do it for her, but she refuses help. Sometimes she let me sneak out there with her, just the two of us...she knew father wouldn't approve of his son gardening, but I enjoyed spending that time with her."

"You miss her." 

He didn't answer, but Phoenix knew she was right. His eyes betrayed his true feelings, and she almost couldn't bear seeing the look in them at that moment. 

"Loki...How  _did_ you get here? On Earth?" 

The melancholy look on his face didn't change, so she let him inside her place and set out making them some coffee. She figured he would talk when he was ready. He sat at the table for the longest time just running his long fingers up and down the wood grain, but when Phoenix sat down across from him, he finally spoke. 

"I was cast out of Asgard. The mortal voodoo woman was right; I  _am_ a liar. And a fool."

Phoenix was silent for a moment. She really had no idea what to say.  _Cast out. What does that mean? How can you be cast out of a realm?_ She was thankful when Loki began speaking again because she didn't know how to phrase that question so that it didn't sound insensitive.

 "My father...he banished me because I let some enemies into the palace. I didn't mean any harm, really. I was only trying to stop my brother's coronation. Odin should know better than to make Thor king. He's far too immature. He's arrogant, he makes rash decisions, and he is most certainly  _not_ the right choice. But does Odin see that?  _No._ " 

Loki seemed to be talking to himself, but Phoenix knew he needed an outlet, so she continued to listen carefully until he was finished. 

"And do you know what the worst part is? He never even gave me a chance. He told us we were both born to be king, but I now know that was just lip service. It was always Thor."

"Thor wanted to ride into Jotunheim to find out how they managed to get into the palace, but Odin discovered my supposed treachery before he could follow through. The oaf. He would have started a war.  _That's_ the kind of king he'll be. He'll run headlong into battle, no matter the consequences, even if hundreds of Aesir lives are at stake."

Loki took a long sip of coffee, dropping his head to stare at his hands. Suddenly, Phoenix felt compelled to say something.  _Anything_. He just looked so sad. So  _devastated_. 

"Loki I-- I don't know what to say. I am so sorry. What can I do to help? How long is your banishment? Wait...how does any of this make you a liar  _or_ a fool? I don't see either of those things."

He slowly raised his head, focusing his eyes on hers, and furrowed his brow. He was temporarily stunned that she hadn't gotten angry at him for not telling her any of this from the beginning. He was even more surprised that she had offered her assistance. 

"Why would you want to help me? I'm nothing but a lousy traitor. I have no clue how long I am to stay here. It is entirely possible that Odin will never allow me to return. I have never been his favorite son, after all."

While Phoenix's heart broke for him, she felt herself falling for him more and more. She couldn't help herself. Not only was he the most beautiful man she had ever laid eyes on; he was also broken, and she felt the strongest urge to pick up his pieces. 


	11. Chapter 11

 

Phoenix reached over to touch Loki's arm. 

"I'm so sorry, Loki. I had no idea you were going through this. I guess I thought you were just...visiting. I'll do whatever I can to help you. You're welcome to stay here as long as you like. I have plenty of room, and you are kinda nice to look at," she winked. 

"You aren't angry with me?" Loki's pained expression cut Phoenix to her soul. 

"Why  _would_ I be? You haven't done anything to me...and I may not know you all that well, but as far as I can tell, you're not just a  _lousy traitor_ , Loki. You made a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes. I'm having the hardest time grasping the idea that your father tossed you out of an entire  _realm_ because of it, though. He must be really strict. If my parents had tossed me out of the house every time I did something wrong, I would have been out on my ass when I was nine years old."

When Phoenix finally stopped rambling, she noticed Loki smiling at her. He was just sitting there, rubbing his hand across hers, smiling as he listened to her. 

"What?" 

He smiled even bigger. 

"I'm pleased that you aren't angry with me, love. I wasn't trying to hide anything from you. I just...wasn't ready to talk about it yet, and I didn't know if you would understand." 

"I do understand; I mean, well, I don't  _fully_ understand, obviously, but I understand why you're...hurting. Please let me help." 

"Phoenix, darling, you're already helping. You just don't realize it. When I found myself here, I thought I would be completely alone, attempting to figure out the workings of this strange little world. And then--"

"And then you started following me up the street," she laughed. 

"Ehehehe... yes. I will admit, you intrigued me. Do you know what else would help me right now, love?"

Loki had a dangerous grin on his face, and Phoenix didn't know whether to be afraid or aroused. 

"What?" She squeaked.

"A nice hot shower. With you."

His smile turned mischievous, and Phoenix felt her insides begin to quiver.

 

Phoenix blushed and smiled at Loki, so he stood up and stalked toward her, loving the sound of her laughter. She squealed as he lifted her out of the chair and into his arms. The feel of her body squirming against his had him painfully hard within seconds. 

"Which way to the shower, darling?" 

She nodded toward a hallway off of the living area, and Loki carried her in that direction. 

"First door on your left," she whispered in a sultry voice he hadn't heard from her before. He set her on her feet and took his shirt off. When Phoenix made to take her shirt off, he stopped her. 

"Oh no, love. You just stay put. Getting you naked is _my_ job."

 Loki reached down, peeling her top off, and kissing up her stomach at the same time. He smiled against her skin when Phoenix shivered and squirmed in his grip. As he made his way up, he stopped at her breasts, caressing one, then the other with his mouth, causing her to press her hips against his and gasp. The sound seemed to go straight to his groin, making his pants even tighter. He lifted her shirt over her head, and proceeded to unbutton her pants. He slowly worked them down by sliding his hands into her waistband, feeling the smooth skin of her hips under his palms. 

When her pants finally fell from her hips, Phoenix stepped out of them, and Loki grasped her hips to set her on the counter. He stepped in between her legs, pushing her thighs apart so that his soft leather pants were pressed against her intimately. Phoenix writhed against him, pulling him down to claim his mouth. She took his lower lip between her teeth, biting gently, then sucking until she heard him groan. Loki ran both of his hands down her back to her bottom. Grasping her there, he pulled her roughly against him, thrusting his hips so she could feel his hardness through her panties. 

 _"Loki,"_ she breathed as he rubbed against her while simultaneously kissing her; sucking on her lips and tangling his tongue with hers. He heard her sharp breaths, felt her trembling thighs, and he knew she was very aroused. 

"Don't. Don't you dare come like this, darling.  _Patience,_ love." 

His command only made her panting worse, which consequently made him want to torture her more. He kissed down her neck, nipping her tender flesh as he made his way to her breasts, but continued to rub against her; keeping her on the verge of release. He slowly pulled one nipple into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it, and she cried out. 

 _"Fuck_ , Loki! How...am I...supposed to  _not_ come?" 

He lifted his head for a moment just to taunt her. 

"Oooh, I  _do_ like your dirty mouth, love. Perhaps I can make you say some more naughty things? Shall we try?" 

Loki lifted her hips just enough to pull her panties down, then set her back onto the counter. He began to take his pants down, and Phoenix grinned, thinking she was finally going to get what she needed, but Loki had other plans. When he stepped out of his pants, he shot her a mischievous look, taking himself in hand. 

"You can watch...and I may let you touch yourself. _Maybe_."

Phoenix's mouth fell open. She was irritated at first, until she started watching him. He began to stroke himself; his lips parted ever so slightly; his eyes fell halfway closed, and his cheeks had the faintest flush. The muscles in his arm rippled as he ran his hand up and down his shaft. She found herself leaning toward him, wanting to touch him so badly her mouth watered. His breathing grew heavy, labored, and his stomach tightened, showing every line under his milky white skin. 

"Loki, _p_ _lease_ let me touch you!" Phoenix heard the words leave her lips, but she didn't remember deciding to say such a thing. It was a knee-jerk reaction. 

He paused just for a moment, running his fingertips around the tip of his arousal and grinning at her.

"Begging...I  _like_ that. I'll make a deal with you, darling. I will stop this madness and give you what you desire if you let  _me_ watch now."

Phoenix didn't even stop to think about what she was about to do; she immediately agreed. A slow, sexy smile spread across Loki's face as she reached between her legs to circle her clit. As soon as she touched herself, she moaned. She was so aroused by Loki's wanton display, she could feel her belly tightening with the growing need for release. She dipped her fingers inside, looking up at Loki when she heard his sharp inhalation. 

 _"Gods, Phoenix_..." 

Spurred on by the look in his eyes, she lifted her hand to her lips and licked her fingers, closing her eyes. It didn't really do much for her, but she knew it would drive him crazy. She was surprised, however, when Loki growled and grasped her hips, picked her up from the counter and carried her to the shower. He turned the water on so that it was steaming hot, then pushed her up against the cool tiles. His mouth was pressed against her throat, and his hand was busy working its way between her thighs. 

With the water streaming down on them, Loki lifted her up, bracing her against the wall, her legs spread wide with the backs of her knees resting on the inside of his elbows. Phoenix had known he was strong, but now she was  _really_ impressed. He didn't even seem phased by her weight on his arms. He pressed his body against her, carefully reaching down to grasp himself so he could line up with her entrance. When he finally thrust into her, they both cried out, immediately feeling the advantage of the position. Not only was he thrusting against the  _perfect_ place deep inside her, his groin was rubbing her clit every time he moved his hips. 

The only disadvantage couldn't really be described as a disadvantage at all: since he was so tall and she was so short, her face was level with his chest because of the way he was holding her. Loki thrust his hips, filling her so completely, causing her to gasp at the sensation, and she let her face fall against his chest; her open mouth pressing softly against his flesh. She felt him lower his head to kiss and nip at her ear, and she moaned. The water from the shower was drizzling down between their bodies creating a suction, which only added to their pleasure. Phoenix dipped her head to lick the water droplets from Loki's nipple, and he hissed through his teeth. 

Loki had started slowly, but was now moving faster and faster, causing her back to slap against the tiles on the wall. He carefully wrapped his fingers around her sides, pulling her hips toward him to lessen the impact. Phoenix gasped when the motion caused him to slide even deeper inside her, so Loki continued to pull her hips forward as he pushed into her. 

Soon, Loki was breathing heavily and groaning in Phoenix's ear, and the combination of his hard thrusts and the water running between their bodies had her gasping for breath. She could feel her orgasm building, and with the way her legs were spread, it was so intense, she felt like she would explode. She dug her fingernails into Loki's back, eliciting a growl from him, and causing him to thrust into her even harder. 

_"Loki...Oh, god...Loki..."_

Suddenly, Phoenix couldn't take it anymore. Her face was pressed against his perfect pale skin, so she opened her mouth and bit down hard on his shoulder. 

 _"Fuck, Phoenix_... _Do that again,"_  he groaned. 

His reaction alone was enough to trigger her release. Phoenix trembled as she climaxed, and Loki kept thrusting, making her come over and over again, a needy, mewling version of his name leaving her lips. She finally sunk her teeth into him once more, making him gasp and moan, and with one final thrust, he emptied himself inside her. 

Loki let his head fall forward onto Phoenix's shoulder as he gently released her legs from his grasp in his arms, setting her on her feet. She wobbled slightly from having her legs spread so far for so long, and from having such intense orgasms. Loki placed both hands on her hips to steady her. When he was certain she wouldn't fall, he ran his right hand up her side to place it on her face, lifting it up to kiss her tenderly. 

"Gods, Phoenix...that was..." he didn't finish, but she knew exactly how he felt. 

"I know. It was." She smiled weakly, still recovering from her earth-shattering release. 

 


	12. Chapter 12

Loki was still standing with his body pressed tantalizingly close to Phoenix minutes later, so she placed her hands on his chest, dragging her fingers downward until she reached his waist. He sucked in a breath and grinned. 

"Phoenix, darling, would you allow me to wash you? I would love to wash your hair for you." He lifted one wet curl and stroked it between his fingers almost lovingly. 

"I've let you do everything else you wanted...why not?" she giggled, and Loki chuckled with her. 

"Oh, I think you wanted it too. Don't even try to deny it. Do you know what else I'm the god of, love?

"What, sex?" 

"Ehehehe...No, but thank you. I had a feeling you were enjoying yourself. I'm the god of mischief and  _lies_ , darling," he said, still stroking her hair. 

Phoenix thought about his claim for a moment, an errant thought niggling at the back of her mind. Then, as if a lightbulb came on, she realized why that was important. 

"Oh... _Oh_. So, the lady at the shop was right. Sort of. And you can tell if I'm lying...Or are  _you_ a liar?"

Loki picked up the shampoo bottle, pouring a small amount into his hand and working it into her hair. His big hands massaged her scalp, and she almost moaned again because it just felt so good to have his hands in her hair. He tilted his head from side to side, as if he were thinking about her question.

"She was right. Undoubtedly. I  _am_ a liar, but not to you. I haven't lied to you once, I promise. And yes, I can detect a lie unless the person telling it is exceptionally gifted, as I happen to be." 

He pulled the lather down into the length of her hair, running his fingers through it, but never snagging a single knot. She couldn't imagine how he managed to wash her curly locks without tangling his fingers in it. She had been washing it all her life, and still couldn't do that. 

"I still haven't figured out how she read me so well...Turn around, love. Let me rinse you." 

Phoenix did as she was told, and Loki rinsed the shampoo from her hair, taking special care not to pull it. When the water ran clear, he asked if she used anything else, and she pointed to the bottle of conditioner. 

"I have to let that soak in for a few minutes, though. Will you let me wash yours while we wait? I'll be gentle. I've had years of practice."

"I thought you'd never ask..." 

Loki turned and knelt down in the tub so Phoenix could reach his head, which made him the perfect height. She put a bit of shampoo in his hair and began working it through, enjoying the feel of his hair between her fingers. He leaned his head back, and she could see that he had his eyes closed. She ran her fingers over his scalp, massaging as best she could without tangling his hair, and he let out a contented sigh. As she moved down to the length of his hair, she rubbed the back of his neck. Loki let his head fall forward to give her easier access, so she massaged his shoulders as well before rinsing the shampoo from his hair. When he stood up and turned around, his eyes were hooded, and he had an erection. 

He smirked, reaching up to tilt her head back and gently rinsing the conditioner from her hair. When he finished, he put his hands on her hips to turn her around. She closed her eyes to the spray of the water, and felt his hands moving around toward her belly. Pulling her against him so that her back was flush against his front, he slowly walked his fingers down toward the apex of her thighs. Phoenix gasped when he reached between her legs, stroking her once more. His right hand gently stroked her clit while his left hand moved up to tease her breasts. She leaned her head back on his chest, allowing him to explore her body. 

Phoenix felt his arousal nudging at her backside, so she reached behind her and gently grasped him, loving the way he groaned at her touch. 

"I apologize, but I can't seem to get enough of you, love," he whispered in her ear. She shivered, shaking her head. 

"Don't apologize. I want you just as much," she panted, "but this water is getting cold. Do you want to go to my room this time?" 

_"Gods, yes."_

 

While Phoenix dried herself, Loki snuck into the living room to get the bag holding his armor...and the items he had  _borrowed_ from The Dark Entry. He smiled to himself, knowing that Phoenix still had no idea he had taken anything. 

 _Leather, leather, leather...handcuffs...another synthetic cock...more leather...and one of those 'swings.'_ Loki chuckled to himself before carrying the bag into the bathroom with him. 

"What are you doing with that? I didn't think we were putting our clothes on yet," Phoenix eyed him laschievously. 

"We're not, but there's more than clothes in this bag, darling," he winked. "Where is you room located?" 

"It's just down the hall. The last door at the end, there. You can go on in there, but don't look at the mess." 

 

When Phoenix entered her room, she found Loki lying across her bed with several object spread out around him: a pair of metal handcuffs, several leather cuffs generally used for tying wrists and ankles, a very large vibrator, and all the parts for a sex swing. He was fiddling with the leather cuffs, looking quite confused, but still very aroused when she realized what he had done. 

"Oh my  _god_! You  _stole_ this stuff!" She shrieked. 

"No! No, no, no! I didn't. I left payment, I swear." His panicked expression made her feel instantly guilty for her outburst.

"Gold coins?" She giggled.

"Twenty of them. That should cover it, should it not?" 

" _Damn._ I should think so. My boss is going to be really confused, but..." she smiled slow and sexy, "this is going to be  _fun_."

 

Suddenly, all of the apprehension was gone from Loki's face, and he was grinning mischievously at her. Her heart raced at the sight of him. 

"Come here, and show me how these things work, darling." 

Phoenix swallowed hard. "Are you...um... are you going to tie me to the bed?" 

His grin widened. "Is  _that_ what these are for?" 

She blushed and nodded, suddenly mute. 

"And how would you feel about that, love? I don't want to do anything you're uncomfortable with..."

The thought of Loki tying her to her bed was almost too much for her to take. Her heart was racing, her palms were beginning to sweat, and due to her state of undress, she could feel her moisture seeping down her thighs. 

Loki looked her up and down, a broad but slightly disconcerting smile spreading across his face.

"Your skin is flushed, darling. Does the thought of being at my mercy arouse you?" He purred. "The thought of being completely out of control...your body subject to my every whim...I could do as I wish, and you could only beg me to stop, or perhaps to continue."

He was pleased to see the lustful look in Phoenix's eyes; the way her tongue darted out to wet her mouth, her teeth grazing her bottom lip. There were patches of pink developing all over her flesh as if she were having a physical reaction to his words. She let out a breath she had been holding. 

 _"Please."_  

"Ehehehe..." Loki held out his hands to her, and she moved toward the bed, allowing him to lay her on her back. He gently took her wrists, tying first her left, then her right wrist to the headboard before moving down. As he worked his way to her ankles, he kissed, licked, and nipped each flushed patch of skin, making her writhe underneath him. When he reached her ankles, he caressed each one before cuffing them to the end of the bed.

Loki stood up to look at her, knowing he wouldn't want to miss the sight of Phoenix, naked and bound to her bed.

"Gods, you are _exquisite_. What am I going to do to you first, my pet?"  

 


	13. Chapter 13

Loki stood watching the heavy rise and fall of Phoenix's chest for a moment before making a decision. Phoenix was mildly surprised when he left the room without a word.  _Surely he won't just leave me here like this..._

Moments later, however, he returned with a plastic cup from the kitchen. 

"Close your eyes, love." She hesitated, and he gave her a withering stare. "If you don't close your eyes, I'll just have to blindfold you," he purred, an evil smile spreading across his face. She did as she was told, although the thought of being blindfolded wasn't a bad one. 

Phoenix felt the bed dip down somewhere close to her left thigh and assumed Loki had climbed up next to her. She felt his fingertips brush over her belly, and she sucked in a breath at his touch. It was colder than usual. She wanted to risk a peek at him so badly, but she feared it would anger him. Suddenly, his lips brushed her nipple; feather soft so that his breath felt stronger than his touch. She moaned, wanting more. _So much more._

She felt the bed shift underneath her, heard a rattling sound, then Loki's lips pressed against her throat, quickly followed by a freezing cold sensation.  _Ice_.  _Holy shit._ He ran the ice cube down her throat with his mouth until she shivered and gasped. Phoenix felt his tongue slide up in the same spot, licking the cold water away. As the ice melted, Loki bit and sucked at her flesh, causing her to cry out at the sharp pain and intense pleasure. She was so aroused, she couldn't slow her heavy breathing. 

More rattling, followed by Loki's mouth pressed against her breast. Then  _cold_. Phoenix gasped, pulling at her bonds and Loki chuckled. He ran the ice over her nipple, letting it slowly melt as Phoenix shivered and panted. Then he used his tongue to lap up the water that ran over her breast and down her belly. Loki sat up for a moment, enjoying watching Phoenix's body writhing with need. Her breath was so heavy, so deep, her whole belly moved, and it made him want to feel the motion. He placed both hands on her hips to hold her in place and dipped his head to plant open-mouthed kisses on her belly. When he slipped his tongue in her navel, she bucked her hips and began to beg for his touch. 

_"Loki, please..."_

"Tell me what you need, darling," he whispered seductively. 

"Touch me,  _please_."

"Well, since you've been such a good girl, keeping your eyes closed all this time..."

He reached down, sliding one long finger inside her, and she moaned as he massaged her. He brushed his thumb across her clit once, twice, three times before feeling her legs begin to tremble. 

"Oh, no. This won't do. I'm nowhere  _near_ finished with you yet." 

He withdrew his finger, brought it to his lips, and licked her wetness from it. "Ah, darling...you taste so good."

" _Please..."_  

"I do enjoy hearing you beg, love." 

Loki moved further down the mattress, settling himself between her legs. Grasping her hips, he dipped his head to lick her once. 

_"Oh, god!"_

 "Ehehehe..." His chuckle sounded dark and menacing to Phoenix. She risked a glance at his face, not knowing if he would be upset that she'd opened her eyes. 

"Hello, pet. Don't look like that... it's alright. You may open your eyes now. I would actually prefer it if you watched while I lick you." 

He leaned down once more, bending his body to reach his head between her legs. All she could see was his hair brushing her thighs, but it was enough. She felt his tongue slithering against her folds, then maddeningly slowly sliding inside her. She arched her back and moaned at the sensation as it slid in and out, in and out, never once touching her clit.  _He's doing this on purpose._  

Loki was loving the sound of her whimpers, the way her thighs quivered against the sides of his face. He knew he was pushing her to the brink of insanity, and the thought aroused him far more than it should. She tasted _so good_ on his tongue, he groaned as he licked inside her. 

 _"Stop, please... fuck!"_ Loki raised his head to look at her for a moment. "Do you  _really_ want me to stop, love?" 

The vibration from Loki's deep groan had _almost_ pushed her over the edge, and she was so frustrated, she wanted to do something, anything to make him _stop teasing her_. 

"No...I just... I _want_ you. _Now_."  

"You want me to stop teasing you." 

 _"Please._ I don't know how much more I can take." 

Loki's eyes roamed her body, and he smiled gently.

"Your body is the most beautiful shade of pink all over, darling. You're glowing with arousal. It's quite alluring...and your taste...your taste is exquisite. I can't seem to get enough. Would you allow me to make you come that way first? I promise I'll be swift."

Phoenix simply nodded, unable to speak. 

Loki grinned devilishly before sliding two fingers deep inside her and dipping his head to suck on her clit. His tongue circled her swollen bud as his fingers massaged her depths until she was gasping. Loki placed one arm across her belly to keep her still, and pushed another finger inside her. Phoenix threw her head back as her orgasm washed over her. She heard herself calling his name over and over again as he continued to pleasure her through her climax.

When he felt her tremors subside, he climbed on top of her, kissing her passionately. She could taste herself on his lips, and it was intoxicating. She felt his arousal nudging at her entrance, so she raised her hips, encouraging him. He reached down, taking himself in hand, and as he thrust into her, Loki let out an aroused exclamation. 

_"Oh, gods, Phoenix!"_

 Loki stilled for a moment, breathing heavily in her ear, and she was able to appreciate just how beautiful his face was up close. His piercing green eyes were full of lust, his jaw clenched with pent-up desire, and his hair was falling over her in a black curtain. She wanted to touch him so badly at that moment, she could hardly contain herself. 

"Loki-- let me touch you..."

He bucked his hips roughly, pushing himself deeper inside her and causing her to cry out. Then, he reached up to release her wrists from their bonds, gently rubbing her arms to help her regain feeling in them. She immediately ran her fingers through his silky raven hair, then down the side of his face. When he suddenly plunged into her again, she yanked a fistful of his hair, calling out his name. 

"God, I'm so sorry," she breathed, "I was just-"

He cut her off. "Don't be... do it again," he panted.

He bucked his hips again, harder this time, and she fisted her hands in his hair, pulling his head back. Loki groaned low and loud. Soon, his hips were slamming against her thighs; his head being jerked back by his hair, and Phoenix was calling out; 

 _"Harder... please!"_  

Loki slowed his pace after a few minutes, but only to release her ankles. He flipped her over onto her stomach, thrusting into her once more. Snaking his arms underneath her, he grasped her shoulders to give him some purchase. As he thrust deep inside her, he bit her back over and over again. Each time, Phoenix gasped, closer to her release. When Loki felt her trembling with need beneath him, he released one of her shoulders to reach between her legs and stroke her clit, at the same time biting down on her neck.

The effect was immediate: Phoenix came.  _Hard_. Loki could only hold her shaking body down as she hit peak after peak, calling out his name. The feel of her body clenching around his was all he needed to find his own release. He thrust into her a few more times, hearing her name tumble from his own lips as his body writhed in ecstasy. 

Loki gently withdrew from her a few moments later, pulling the blankets up over their bodies. He curled up around Phoenix's body, stroking his hand down her sides and kissing her sweetly. 

"Honestly...I hope Odin makes me stay here for a while. I quite like it here," he whispered in Phoenix's ear before kissing her forehead tenderly. 

She smiled to herself. She had been thinking the same thing, but she hadn't wanted to say as much for fear of his reaction. 


	14. Chapter 14

Loki held Phoenix, watching as her eyes drifted closed and her lips parted slightly. She let out a soft sigh, relaxing against his body as she fell asleep. He suddenly realized she probably hadn't slept in over twenty-four hours, unless she had slept some the day before. Feeling slightly guilty for keeping her awake longer, he pulled her closer and closed his eyes, marveling at how soft she felt pressed against him. 

Several hours later, Phoenix woke up alone, but there was a strange smell emanating from the hallway. She quickly slipped into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, and made her way toward the kitchen. When she rounded the corner, she found Loki standing in front of the stove wearing nothing but her black and white polka dot apron. He was holding a creole cookbook that happened to be laying out on the counter from a dinner she had made a few days prior, looking like the sex god that he was. She couldn't help herself; she burst out laughing. 

Loki whirled around at the sound, immediately grinning at the sight of her terminal bedhead. 

"What---what on Earth are you  _doing_ , Loki?" She gasped between bouts of giggles. 

"Well, I  _was_ trying to surprise you with some dinner, but you just _had_ to wake up and spoil it," he grumbled. 

She peeked over his shoulder at the recipe he had been following. 

"You're making chicken and sausage gumbo, huh? How is that working out?" 

He smirked at her tone; "It is going quite well, thank you very much. This  _is_ chicken, yes? It says here I have to boil the chicken first, so I  _hope_ I'm boiling the correct animal carcass." 

Once again, Phoenix was reduced to a giggling mess in her kitchen at Loki's choice of words.

"You're...doing...just fine!"

Loki glared at her, and she laughed even harder. His naked ass hanging out from under her apron compounded with the serious look on his face was enough to send her into hysterics. 

"What is so funny?! Am I doing something wrong? Please tell me," he begged, his face panicked. 

Suddenly, Phoenix realized how vulnerable he must feel; on another planet, in someone else's kitchen, attempting to do something  _nice_ for her, and having absolutely no clue how to do it. She felt so guilty, she stopped laughing immediately, and placed her hand on his bare back, rubbing soothing circles into his skin. 

"You're doing fine, Loki. I promise. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel bad. It's just... you're naked...in the kitchen...and--"

"You like it.  _A lot_ ," he smirked, winking at her. 

Phoenix blushed, then smacked his naked backside, earning a startled yelp from Loki. Seconds later, though, he had pulled her into his body and was sucking on her neck, leaving deep purple bruises. She enjoyed it so much, she couldn't even complain about the hickeys. 

"Loki! Your chicken! You have to watch it, so it doesn't boil dry."  

He glanced into the pot, making sure it had plenty of water, and turned his attention back to Phoenix. This time, he pulled her lower lip between his teeth, nipping and sucking until she was moaning into his mouth. When the pot started to boil over on the stove, Phoenix quickly pulled away, turning down the heat. 

"You know... I think I might have some sweatpants that will fit you. Would you like some? And I'm sure I have a t-shirt." 

"Are you too distracted by my nakedness, love? Is that why you need me to cover myself?" He grinned, looking at her laschievously. 

"Obviously." She turned, heading down the hallway.

Loki was undeniably pleased by Phoenix's reaction to him, although he didn't know why he wanted  _her_ approval so badly. He had been with many women in his long life, and he had never felt the need to please them in the same way. He wanted her to want him. No, he wanted her to  _need_ him; whether it was for more than just sex, he did not know. All he knew was that this feeling was totally foreign to him, and it both frightened and excited him. 

A few minutes later, Phoenix returned with a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. She tossed them at him playfully, and he laughed. 

"Those pants will be too short, but we'll get you some more tonight. I'll take you shopping, if you want. It'll be fun!" 

 

Phoenix helped Loki prepare the roux for the gumbo while the sausage was browning, and they chopped celery and two types of onions together. Phoenix set some white rice to cook, insisting it had to be done a certain way, while Loki grumbled about his surprise being completely derailed.

When that was finished, they let the mixture cook for an hour while they sat at the small dining room table and planned their evening. Loki was skeptical about shopping being  _fun_ , but he was willing to try anything with Phoenix. She made everything fun. 

"We'll take the bus to the Riverwalk. It's great!  _And,_ there's a  _Cafe' Du Monde_ inside...so if you're a really good mischief-maker, we'll get some beignets," she waggled her eyebrows at him. 

"Norns, those damn beignets...Yes, Okay. I'll do anything for more of those." 

 

"Do you like it?"

Phoenix watched as Loki took his first bite of the gumbo. Gumbo was a creole speciality, and New Orleans natives couldn't live without the stuff, but many people from other parts of the country couldn't  _stand_ it. He took another bite, then another, rolling it around in his mouth; his eyes looking toward the ceiling. Finally, he nodded. 

"Actually, it's delicious. I wasn't sure about the selection of meats at first. I'm not certain where  _sausage_ comes from, but it is divine." 

Phoenix smiled at the look of pure joy on his face. She was having  _so much fun_ showing him these new things. 

"I'm so glad you like it! I was worried. Some people really don't have a taste for creole cooking. Sausage comes from pigs, by the way. It's pork." 

Loki nodded, his mouth full of food, and Phoenix smiled again. 

 

When they were finished eating, they set out to find Loki some "Midgardian" clothing, as he called it. Phoenix kept reminding him not to mention that to any of the store clerks. She certainly didn't want to have to explain his wording to anyone else. 

"What colors do you prefer, Loki? I know you're used to wearing leather and metal, but that will stand out a bit too much around here. I mean, I like it, so feel free to strut around my place in that armor anytime you like, just don't expect to wear it for long," she winked. 

Again, Loki's chest swelled with pride at Phoenix's words. Each time she complimented him, he felt as if no one else's opinion of him would ever matter again. He couldn't understand how she made him feel that way, but he liked it. He liked her.  _A lot._

"My colors are green and gold, love. I'll also wear black, though."

"Green, gold, and black. Got it."    

"Wait, when you say 'My colors,' what do you mean? Do you mean they are your favorite colors, or are they some kind of symbol for you?"  

Loki was taken aback by her genuine interest in his background. The Aesir women he had courted hadn't really cared about his interests. In fact, they seemed to always want to talk about his brother.  _The oaf._

"Well, darling, they  _are_ my favorite colors, but they are also  _my_ colors; as a prince of Asgard. So, if you were to come to an event, and you wanted to show your support for me, you would wear green and gold." 

 

Several hours later, while Loki grumbled about the ridiculously small dressing rooms, the store organizational systems, Midgardian clothing sizes, the customer service people trying to  _touch_ him, and the lack of adornments on clothing, they sat down to eat some beignets.

Phoenix was actually  _enjoying_ grumpy Loki's musings. He was witty and sarcastic, and she just wanted to listen to him while sipping a Hurricane at Pat O's. Actually, she wanted to listen to him  _anywhere_. He was just that entertaining to her. She was sitting across from him with a big goofy smile on her face when he finally slowed his tirade long enough to notice. 

"What? Why are you looking at me that way?" 

"I was just wondering-- what would you say to another adventure tonight? Wanna go change clothes and see another New Orleans hotspot? I'll make it worth your while," she winked. 

Loki smiled; powdered sugar smudged around his mouth.

"I would go anywhere with you, darling, even though you  _did_ just drag me through Midgardian clothing Hel." 


	15. Chapter 15

Phoenix straightened her new emerald green halter top, pulled on a short, flirty skirt, and zipped her boots before walking out into the dining room to meet Loki. She was slightly nervous about her choice of clothing, but she had wanted to show her  _support_ for him. So, while they were shopping, she added a few items to her wardrobe without his knowledge. 

When she emerged from her room, she saw Loki sitting at the small dining room table, looking like a sexy, brooding rock star. He wore a pair of black jeans, black leather boots, and a gunmetal grey button-down shirt with a leather jacket zipped over top. Phoenix wolf-whistled at him, snapping him out of his trance. 

"Don't you look sexy? Who knew  _Midgardian_ clothing would suit you so well?" 

She thought she saw the faintest blush creep up Loki's neck, but she couldn't be sure. He looked her up and down, licking his lips. 

"Darling, you look ravishing. Did you wear that just for me?" 

He walked toward her, held out his hand, and ran his fingers along her collarbone. Then he let them dip down to her top, lingering there to feel the silky material between his fingertips. She didn't know how he did it, but he managed to arouse her with the simplest gestures. It may have been the intense look in his eyes, or the way his black hair fell around his face, but if he had asked, she would have let him take her right there. Or  _anywhere_ , for that matter. 

"I bought it while we were out shopping. Actually, I picked it up while you were busy grumbling about the dressing rooms," she winked, "I thought you could use some support while you're here; literally out of your realm." 

"You did that...for me? Because of our earlier conversation?" 

Loki's expression was filled with disbelief, and it tore at Phoenix's heart. How could he  _not_ believe she would do that for him? Had he really had so little support at home that he was this touched by her small gesture?

"Of course I did! If you can't tell, I...well, I like you."      _A lot._

Suddenly, Loki wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to him. He stroked her back several times, tangling his fingers in her hair, then kissed her solidly on the forehead. 

"You have no idea how much this means to me, sweet Phoenix. As you may have guessed, I don't get a lot of support from many people, and it touches me that you would do this for me."

Phoenix had no idea what to say. She was feeling so many emotions at once; happy that she had made Loki feel loved, but completely heartbroken that he was so isolated, that a tiny thing like a green shirt could make his day. 

"Well, if you like this shirt, you should see my panties," she winked, hoping it would break through the gloomy cloud that seemed to be hovering over her. 

Loki smirked, running his hands up her thighs so her skirt rose with them. When he made it to the edge of her lacy green thong, he sucked in a breath. 

"Phoenix, love, I had better stop this right now if you still want to go out tonight. Dear Norns, you know the way to my heart."

 

As they walked to the trolley, Phoenix couldn't get his words out of her head;  _You know the way to my heart_. She had been mildly surprised to hear him say that, especially at that particular moment, but she couldn't stop thinking about it. In the course of a few days, Loki had become an integral part of her life, and she wanted him to stay with her more than anything. That thought  _terrified_ her. He was a  _god_. He obviously couldn't stay forever, and she was quickly falling in love with him. 

When they reached the trolley stop, Loki pulled her out of her dark thoughts by unleashing a new stream of questions. 

"What are these things? How are they different from the buses we rode earlier?" 

"They're trolleys.They run on tracks, like trains...oh, nevermind... They can only go where there are tracks. See those metal things on the road?"

Phoenix pointed to the tracks as they climbed onto the trolley with several other passengers. Loki immediately started grumbling that the trolley system made no sense. He was right, but Phoenix adored them. Obviously, you  _could_ ride the buses everywhere you needed to go, but why would you want to do that when you could ride a big red open-air train car? She tried to explain the concept to him, to no avail. 

 

"Where are you taking me tonight, my beautiful tour guide?" Loki asked as he took her hand, helping her down the steps of the trolley. 

She smiled and blushed at his words, wondering if he spoke to all the girls this way. Then she decided it didn't matter. At least she was experiencing it right now. 

"We are going to the Cat's Meow. It's a karaoke bar. Do you like to sing?" 

He frowned, "I know a few Asgardian lullabies, darling, but I doubt that is the kind of singing you are referring to."

 _Asgardian lullabies?_ Phoenix sighed to herself. 

"Well, it isn't, but I would love to hear those sometime. Your voice is...really nice, so I can imagine it would be very pretty," she stumbled over her words, trying not to sound too enamored. 

"Then I shall sing them for you, darling. Perhaps you can sing this... _karaoke_ , and I will sing lullabies for you later." 

His promise made her want to go home immediately so he could sing to her. She just  _knew_ he would have the most amazing voice she had ever heard. 

 

When they arrived at their destination, Loki noticed that the bar in question had a balcony where several men were standing. They were taunting women below with handfuls of those plastic baubles, only tossing them down into the crowd when a woman gave in and raised her shirt to expose herself. 

"Honestly,  _why_ would any self-respecting female do that just for some plastic baubles?" Loki asked, totally perplexed. 

Phoenix laughed because she understood his sentiment perfectly. She couldn't imagine showing her breasts to a crowd of strange men just for a wad of beads, but it was tradition. 

"I have no idea, but that is a Mardi Gras tradition. Those girls are so drunk, they will never remember this in the morning." 

The Cat's Meow was a fairly intimate place. There was a full-sized bar on the left side of the room, and a white baby grand piano in the front. People were crowded around the front area watching three mortals sing a terrible rendition of  _"Bohemian Rhapsody"_ when they entered. After several drinks and twenty more minutes of really bad music, it was Phoenix's turn to sing. 

She turned to Loki before she walked up to the front of the room; "Are you sure you don't want to join me? I chose a song just for you." 

"I'm sure, love, but I can't wait to hear you sing. You'll be amazing." 

Phoenix stepped up to the microphone, announcing; "This is a song called,  _Emperor's New Clothes_. I chose it for that sexy prince sitting  _right there_." She pointed to Loki, wiggling her finger and winking at him.

Loki watched as Phoenix sang, swaying and wriggling her hips to the music. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. Her neck and chest glistened with sweat, and he found himself fantasizing about their sweaty, writhing bodies tangled together in her bed sheets. By the time she was finished, he was ready to go home. She strutted toward him to the applause of the other patrons, and he stood, wrapping his arm tightly around her waist. 

"Thank you, darling. You were fantastic. Gods, you're sexy, love," he stroked her back, running his hand underneath her mane of sweaty hair. 

"Do you want to go back home?" Phoenix saw the lustful look in his eyes, and her body was already responding to him. 

"Without a doubt."

 

Loki led her outside, but when they stepped out, Phoenix heard a male voice shouting from the balcony. 

"Hey! Girl with the green shirt! Show me your tits!" 

She looked up and saw the same group of guys standing there with beads in their hands. 

"No, thank you," she called out. She heard Loki growl beside her, low and menacing. 

"It's okay...they do it all the--   What the  _fuck?!_ Someone just  _peed in my hair!_ " 

Loki's head snapped up just as Phoenix was looking toward the balcony. She couldn't see well enough to spot the person responsible. 

" _Stay here_ ," Loki snarled. She tried to grab his arm, but he was already gone. 

Loki went back inside the bar, ignored the sign on the stairs that read  **Private** , and made his way to the balcony. Seconds later, he appeared behind the group above Phoenix's head. 

"Which one of you _miscreants_ just pissed on my girl's head?" 

Phoenix could see that Loki was seething mad. He was gritting his teeth, and his face was bright red.  _Oh, shit._  

When no one answered him, Loki slammed two of them up against the balcony railing. 

"I  _said_ ; WHO WAS IT?" One of them tentatively pointed to the other. Loki pushed him aside, grabbing the other by his throat and lifting him off of his feet with one hand. 

"You fucked with the  _wrong girl_ tonight, you worthless little maggot. You have two choices: One, you can leave here right now and apologize to my girl on your way out. The party is over for you, do you hear me?" Loki shook him to get his point across, "Or Two, I can throw  _you_ down there for the first woman who shows _me_ her breasts. What's it going to be?" 

"I--I----I'll go home now. I swear. I  _swear_." 

"Fine. Get down there and apologize to my girl before you leave, you honorless cockroach." 

Loki set him on his feet as roughly as possble, and the man ran through the bar out into the street to apologize to Phoenix before catching the next trolley to his apartment. 

 

Loki stalked back through the front door to meet Phoenix, who was thoroughly turned-on by his protectiveness. She reached out to touch his chest, looked into his eyes, which were still clouded with rage, and pulled him toward her for a rough kiss. 

"That was so... _hot."_  

"Ehehehe...I'm so sorry about that. You should never have to deal with such imbeciles. Let's go home, baby. I'll wash your hair for you, and then you can let me see the rest of those skimpy green panties," he winked. 

 


	16. Chapter 16

"I feel so disgusting..."

Phoenix wrinkled her nose as Loki placed his hand at her lower back to lead her through the thick crowds toward the trolley. Loki looked down at her; taking in her pained expression, her bright blue eyes and pouty pink lips, and he decided she could  _never_ look disgusting, even doused in urine. He stopped walking, turning her around to face him and stroking her arms tenderly. 

"Darling, you look beautiful. Don't you  _dare_ talk that way about yourself in my presence. I won't tolerate it. Nothing about you is disgusting, even when some inbred mortal has attempted to desecrate your gorgeous hair. You're still perfect."  

Speechless, Phoenix stood staring at Loki's face, tears forming in her eyes. No one had ever spoken to her so sweetly before. She quickly swiped at her eyes and opened her mouth to speak, but no words came.

"Oh, dear... why are you crying? Did I say the wrong thing, darling?"

She finally found her voice as she looked at the worried expression on his face. 

"No! Oh, Loki, that was the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. Do you...I mean, do you really think that?"

Loki's eyes softened, and he pulled her into his chest, holding her tightly against him.

"Sweetheart, I lie, but I don't say things like  _that_ to anyone. That was the absolute truth. Now, can I take you home and give you a nice hot bath? I'll show you just how beautiful I think you are," he winked. 

Phoenix blushed;  _"Yes, please_ _."_

 

The trolley was crowded with drunk college students, so Loki pulled Phoenix onto his lap to keep the imbeciles from running over her when they stumbled off the car at their destinations. Phoenix grinned and wriggled her hips, enjoying the feel of his arms around her waist. She couldn't wait to get home with him. She had been eyeing him all evening, deciding that black was a  _good_ color for him. He looked even more dangerous than usual, which for some reason, was a _huge_ turn-on.

Loki wiped the grin off of her face when he slid his hand up the front of her skirt, walking his fingers up her inner thigh, and teasing the edge of her panties. She gasped as he slipped one finger under the lace and began rubbing at her clit. Phoenix looked around at the other passengers, making sure no one could see what he was doing to her, but they all seemed either too distracted or too drunk to notice. 

"They can't see, darling. Just relax. I'll have you limp in my arms by the time we reach our stop." 

He was not wrong. 

Loki continued slowly rubbing her with his finger until she was having trouble keeping her breathing even. Then, he pulled her body closer to him so that she was facing him with her head laying on his shoulder. Phoenix gasped against Loki's neck when she felt his fingers thrust into her; his thumb circling her already sensitive bud. He curled his fingers, making her quiver with desire, and she latched onto his neck, sucking as hard as she could. It was the only thing keeping her from crying out. Within seconds, she came; her body trembling in his arms as wave after wave of pleasure washed over her. When she lifted her head, she realized she had left a large purple welt on his throat. She kissed it before whispering in his ear.

 _"I want you, Loki..."_  

"Wrap your arms around my neck, darling. We're at our stop, and I want to keep you in my arms." 

Loki carried Phoenix from the trolley and cradled her in his arms all the way to her apartment, stopping periodically to kiss her or nuzzle her throat. When they arrived, he took her straight to the bathroom, filled the tub with hot water, and began stripping their clothing off. As he did, he slowly ran his hands over her body, caressing her heated flesh and causing her to whimper at his touch. 

He climbed into the bath, then tugged at Phoenix's hand. 

"Here, love. Come sit down between my legs. I'll clean your hair for you." 

Loki used his big hands to pour water over Phoenix's hair, then massaged shampoo into her scalp and throughout her hair. She sighed as she felt him rubbing her neck. She hadn't realized how tense she was from the incident outside the Cat's Meow. When Loki was finished, he rinsed her hair and began lovingly stroking the side of her neck, placing tender kisses along her jaw. She leaned back so she was pressed against him, loving the way his hard chest felt against her back. 

Taking advantage of this new position, Loki poured some of her conditioner into his palm and began rubbing it on her breasts, taking special care to tease her nipples. Phoenix writhed against him as his slick palms effortlessly slid across her suddenly taut flesh. Loki snaked one hand down her belly between her parted thighs and began teasing her folds once more while continuing his slow assault of her breasts with the other. 

Loki was so aroused from the feel of her bottom rubbing against his hard length that he suddenly pushed her up on her knees, supporting her with his hand on her lower belly. He slid his fingers inside her from behind, and she cried out, but he was far too worked up to spend much time using just his hands. He thrust his fingers into her, enjoying the sound of her moans while he moved into a kneeling position behind her. Then he pulled his fingers away, much to her disappointment. However, her grief was short-lived because as soon as he lined himself up with her entrance, he thrust into her; deep and hard. 

 _"Oh, ohmygod..."_ Phoenix gasped. He was just  _so deep_   _inside her_. As Loki began to move his hips, he wrapped his other arm around her upper body, holding her arms so that she was completely supported, and almost completely immobile. She never imagined that would be so arousing, but when Loki did it, it was  _hot_. 

Loki groaned, licking the side of her throat as he moved inside her, and Phoenix felt every inch of him as he thrust into her slowly, torturously. His teeth grazed her earlobe as he moaned her name, and she whimpered in response. The slick conditioner that had once been only on her breasts was now all over her body, making his chest and stomach slide against her as he moved, and the effect was nothing short of erotic. Phoenix let her head fall back on Loki's shoulder, allowing him enough access to bite and suck at her neck. As he did, his thrusts became faster, harder, and Phoenix almost lost her breath at their intensity. She gasped each time his hips hit her backside. 

Loki could sense that Phoenix was close to her release, so he held her tighter around her arms, and moved the hand that supported her hips down so he could rub at her clit. When his fingers parted her, he felt her whole body tremble with pleasure. The idea that she was so aroused almost made him come right then. He had never been this wrapped up in another person's sexual experience before, but now that he was, he didn't want it any other way. Gently, so he didn't push her too far, too fast, he rubbed her with his fingers, and he was pleased when he heard her calling out to him. 

_"Oh, Loki... Ah...Loki"_

His name sounded so sweet coming from her lips; he just wanted to hear it over and over again. He thrust his hips harder, faster; rubbing her and kissing her neck with reckless abandon. He only wished she were facing him so he could kiss her sweet mouth. When he felt her walls begin to clench around him, it only drove him to work harder, and soon she was crying out his name as she came not once, but three times.

When she was finished, Loki wanted her mouth on his so badly, he lifted her in his arms to turn her around so she straddled his lap. As he entered her once more, he wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and claimed her mouth, kissing her passionately unil he groaned her name into her mouth as he found his own intense release. 

He had only one thought as they held each other in the bath afterward; 

 _Dear Norns, I think I love this mortal..._  

 


	17. Chapter 17

When the water grew cooler, and Phoenix started to shiver against Loki's chest, Loki gathered her tightly in his arms and lifted her out of the bathtub. Letting the water out of the tub, he wrapped her in a towel, taking special care to dry her hair as best he could. He kissed her forehead tenderly, and she smiled up at him. As she did, she was slightly startled by the anguished look in his eyes. 

"Loki? Are you alright?"

He didn't answer her. He just continued rubbing her bare skin with the soft towel until she was completely dry before wiping the water droplets away from his own skin. 

"I believe I promised you an Asgardian lullaby, darling." 

The melancholy in his face twisted her heart while she secretly rejoiced that he'd remembered their pact. She was dying to hear him sing to her. As they climbed into her bed, Loki wrapped his arms around her waist, tugging her tightly against him; her face buried in his damp hair, her legs tangled in his.

For the first time in a very long time, Phoenix felt completely secure in her own apartment. She had always been a little worried, especially living so close to the Quarter, but with Loki there, enveloping her in his arms, she felt  _safe_. It was like having her very own guardian angel, except he was very fond of black clothing and beating the absolute shit out of anyone who messed with her. 

"Are you comfortable, love?" Loki whispered, so softly she almost didn't hear him. 

"Yes...I, um...I like this. Being held this way. It feels really nice." 

She didn't want to tell him that it was everything she had ever wanted, or that she never wanted it to end. She didn't want to tell him that she loved the way his hair tickled her nose, or that she could feel his heart beating next to hers and it made her smile. 

Loki began to sing a soft, sweet song with foreign words that Phoenix couldn't understand. It was beautiful, nonetheless; it's minor key making it sound almost sad, but perfect for lulling a tiny baby to sleep. She could feel his chest vibrating against her as his deep voice filled her ears, and it was the most comforting sensation. She felt her eyelids drooping, but she didn't want to fall asleep yet. She tried in vain to keep herself awake, but the sound of his voice, and the safety of his arms pulled her under faster than she thought possible. 

Loki felt Phoenix's body relax into his, felt her hands loosen their grip on his shoulders, and he knew she had fallen asleep. He finished singing the verse he had begun, gradually lowering the volume of his voice until it was nothing but a whisper against her hair. Now that she was sleeping peacefully, he had time to think about the revelation he'd had while holding her in the bathtub. 

_Do I really love her? This mortal woman I have only known a few days?_

He suddenly remembered a conversation he'd had in the gardens with Frigga. Loki had been distraught over Thor's coronation, and rather than discussing his true feelings with his mother, he had directed all of his anguish on the fact that Thor would be forced to find a bride after he became king of Asgard. After all, a king  _had_ to have a queen. It was law. 

 

_So, now that Thor is to become king, he will have to find a wife, yes?_

_Yes, Loki. Why do you ask?_

_I just don't see why he has to rush out to find the love of his life because he has taken the throne. It makes no sense!_

_A king needs his queen, my son. He needs the support as well as someone to provide him with heirs. You know this. What troubles you, dear son?_

_Mother, how does one even go about finding love? How would Thor even know it when he found her? How did you know? It just doesn't seem like something that should be rushed. And we all know how brash and uncontrolled Thor can be. What if he brings home some--_

_Loki--  While it is true that love should not be rushed, he will know when he finds her. And so will you. I knew because I felt as if I couldn't live without your father. I would have done anything to be with him. And Thor...and you, Loki, will feel the same way when you find the right woman._

 

Loki remembered those words like they had been spoken only minutes ago. It was such a simple conversation; one he had initiated not out of any interest in the topic, but out of anger over Thor's coronation, but it had such an impact on him. He didn't understand how you could  _possibly_ feel as though you couldn't live without another person.

 _Until now._  

Although Loki hadn't spent more than a few days with Phoenix, he knew that she understood him better than anyone else ever had. When he told her of his exile from Asgard, he had been terrified she wouldn't want any more to do with him, but she had willingly comforted  _him_. She hadn't even flinched when he told her he was not from her planet. She simply accepted him for who he was, and made him feel like he was  _someone worth knowing_. It had taken him over a thousand years to find one person who made him feel that way, and he was absolutely  _not_ going to let her go without a fight. 

With Phoenix curled up in his arms, he felt that as long as he could stay  _right here,_ in this moment, everything would be alright. He could feel her breathing against his chest, and every breath was more precious than the last. He wanted to hear each and every one of her heartbeats. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, sighing contentedly just before another thought wriggled into his mind, making his blood run cold. 

_What if Odin brings me back without warning? What if I'm here one moment, then gone the next? How would Phoenix feel? Would she even care that I was gone?_

Loki looked at her face, which was partially buried in his hair, and wondered what he was supposed to do next. He didn't want to scare her away, but he  _had_ to know how she felt about him. His chest ached. More than anything, he wished he could go to Frigga for advice, but that was no longer an option for him. 

 

When Phoenix woke the next morning, Loki was wrapped tightly around her; his arms held her against his chest, and his legs were tangled with her own. She wriggled just enough to regain a tiny bit of mobility, but when she saw his sleepy face, she decided against leaving him alone in her bed. Instead, she lay there gently stroking his hair, memorizing his every feature. After all, she had no idea how much time she would have with the God of Mischief, and she knew without a doubt that when he had to go, her heart would shatter. However, her hippie mother had always said that some men would leave you with a broken heart, but they were still worth it. Phoenix was absolutely certain that  _this man_ was worth it.

"Good morning, love..." Loki whispered, startling Phoenix as she stroked his bare shoulder with her fingertips.

"Oh, I'm sorry I woke you!" Her face flamed with embarrassment, and Loki chuckled.

"It's okay, darling. This is a good way to wake up...a beautiful woman lying in my arms, running her fingers over my skin. I couldn't ask for anything better."

Phoenix blushed, smiling at him, and Loki could no longer resist; he _had to know_ how she felt. 

Loki reached up, brushing a strand of hair away from Phoenix's eyes, and placed a soft kiss on the corner of her mouth. When he looked at her again, there was something different in his eyes; something serious. Phoenix couldn't place the emotion, but it frightened her. She had been on-edge since the night before when he had been so melancholy after their bath. It was almost as if he was about to tell her goodbye. 

"Phoenix, darling...I-- I need to ask you something, and I want you to be honest with me. I don't want to scare you away or anything, and I know we've only known each other a few days, but... am I just--  Gods, I don't know how to say this--  Am I just someone you enjoy having sex with?" He sighed, heavily, then continued, "Or could you...possibly develop _other_ feelings for me?" 

Phoenix took a deep breath, not knowing whether she should  _actually_ be honest, or if she should skirt around the truth. She decided to play it safe, admitting only a fraction of the truth.

"Loki, I-- well... I already have. Listen, I know that you can't possibly stay here. I  _know_ that, but I can't help becoming-- attached to you. But, I've already decided that whatever happens... this is worth it. This thing we're doing is worth whatever heartache I have to endure when you're...gone." She whispered the last word, unable to speak it aloud. 

Loki's face lit up at her words, and he pulled her closer, kissing her with a tenderness she hadn't felt from him before.

"Darling, I  _swear_ to you, I won't cause you heartache... If I had to leave you, my heart would break just the same."


	18. Chapter 18

Phoenix couldn't imagine how this beautiful god from another realm could  _possibly_ have such feelings for her. Sure, she'd had boyfriends who had cared for her, but Loki was  _different_. He was everything they had not been; protective, chivalrous, tender, and romantic. He had a depth to him that the others had not possessed, making her want to know everything about him. 

"Loki, there must be  _so_ many beautiful women in Asgard. Why me? I'm nothing special. I mean, I work in a sex shop for God's sake. I'm not drop-dead gorgeous or anything...I just--"

"Don't. I told you before, I don't want to hear you say those things about yourself. It _hurts_ me to hear you say those things."

He laid his hand on her cheek, tenderly stroking her face with his thumb. 

"You see, love, I feel the very same way about myself. I may be a god  _here_ , but on Asgard, I'm well known as the least favorite son; the one who always lets Odin down somehow. I know how it feels to think those things about myself, but you...you are so much more than you think. If I had not met you-- or rather chased you down the street-- I may have done something very foolish. You have given me a reason to stay here. I don't  _want_ to go back. I will do whatever it takes to stay here with you, my sweet." 

"And those so-called beautiful women in Asgard have nothing on you, my dear. You are a goddess."

Phoenix could hardly breathe, much less speak a coherent sentence, so she did the next best thing: she laced her fingers in his hair and kissed him, trying desperately to convey all of the emotions she was feeling. She was falling in love with him, and she had no idea what to do. 

Loki took her cheeks in his hands, and as he stroked her face, his tongue gently worked its way between her parted lips to dance with hers. Still holding her face with one hand, he gathered her hair into the other, tangling his fingers in it as he worshipped her mouth with his own. They kissed for what felt like hours before Loki gently lowered her onto the mattress, hovering above her and kissing down her thoat. 

The feel of Loki's lips and tongue on her neck made Phoenix breathe heavier, and she could feel her arousal pooling between her thighs. They had both slept naked the night before, so Loki simply continued down her body, reverently kissing her and gently sweeping his hands across her heated skin. His hands tickled her inner thighs before his palm came to rest on her clit, and she gasped as he slipped two long fingers deep inside her. 

As he pleasured her, Loki snaked his other arm around Phoenix's back so he could cradle her against him. Then he pulled her toward him, kissing her. He wanted to feel her moans and gasps against his mouth. He curled his fingers, rubbing her with his palm until she was panting against his lips, and he was painfully hard. He wanted her so badly, but he  _needed_ to give her this pleasure; needed to see her face as she came. 

Her breath against his face started to come in short, labored gasps, so he rubbed her faster, moving his fingers just the way he knew she liked. When he felt her body begin to clench around his fingers, he looked at her face. Her eyes fluttered closed, her mouth fell open, and she looked  _exquisite_. He watched as she gasped his name in pure ecstasy, and it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. 

Phoenix was still quivering from her release when Loki lowered himself between her legs. When he thrust into her, she felt his hand tighten on her waist; heard his deep groan in her ear, and it aroused her all over again. Loki kissed her tenderly, running his hands over her hips while he gently thrust into her over and over.

They'd had sex many times since meeting each other, but this time was different. This time, Loki was making love to her, and it was beyond anything she had ever experienced. When that realization hit her, it was only moments before she felt her second release building, and she couldn't help moaning to him. 

_"Loki...you feel so good...oh, god..."_

His thrusts became slightly harder and deeper, but still just as tender. He kissed her passionately, rubbing her sides and brushing her hair from her face. 

"Look at me, Phoenix. Open your eyes."

Phoenix hadn't realized she'd closed them, but when she opened her eyes, Loki's face was inches from her own, and his eyes were full of adoration for her. He claimed her lips once more, and that was all it took to push her to her climax. Loki lifted his face to look at her, and as he felt her release around him, he groaned, emptying himself inside her. 

 

 Phoenix lay across Loki's chest, breathing in his intoxicating scent while he stroked her bare back. She marveled at the way his skin never seemed to warm, even though it was humid and hot in her bedroom. His fingertips were still cool, and his chest was like marble. Curiosity finally got the best of her, and she had to ask. 

"I hope you don't find this question offensive, but how is it that your skin is so cold all the time? I mean, I'm burning up right now, and you've not even broken a sweat with me lying on top of you." 

Loki shrugged his shoulders even though he knew Phoenix couldn't see the motion. 

"I honestly do not know. At first I thought all the Aesir had that particular trait, but neither my brother Thor, nor my mother and father have it. They get just as warm as you mortals do. It must be something unique to me. It does have its advantages though," he winked. 

Phoenix giggled, curling up closer to him. 

"Yes, it does. You're keeping me cool in this ridiculous New Orleans heat."

Loki chuckled, making Phoenix smile. She loved hearing his laugh rumble deep in his chest. 

"Speaking of ridiculous New Orleans..." she suddenly sat up, "Today is Fat Tuesday, so what would you like to do?"

Loki wore a mask of confusion. "Should that mean something to me, love?"

"Oh, Right. Today is the last day of Mardi Gras. It all ends at midnight tonight, so if you want to go party, now's your chance," she winked. 

"Why would they name it Fat Tuesday, for Odin's sake?"

"It has something to do with Lent, and basically gorging on food and drink before giving up something for...well, God."

Loki cocked his head to the side, smirking.

"Ehehehe... _which_ god? And I swear, if you say Thor..."

Phoenix giggled, "No.  _The_ God. Not Norse mythology gods...you know, God, from the Bible."

Loki still looked perplexed, so Phoenix shrugged her shoulders. "Nevermind. I just thought of something! We need to get you some King Cake!"

"We're not a myth, darling. As you can see, I'm very real. As are Thor and Odin...  _King_ cake? What is that? Please tell me we won't be meeting that retched imposter Mardi Gras king again. He was such an imbocile," Loki ranted, rolling his eyes. 

"No... we won't be seeing him again. I suspect he's gotten an Order of Protection against you by now anyway. King Cake is delicious...it's, well, it's hard to describe. What do you say we get some clothes on and go get some? I'm getting hungry anyway."

Loki smiled lovingly at her.

"Whatever you desire, my little princess."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 10 notes- Fous le camps et morte - Fuck off and die  
> Ane - Ass  
> Loki really pissed her off, which is so very Loki. That's why we love him.
> 
> Chapter 18 notes- Information on King Cakes-  
> https://www.randazzokingcake.com/pages/History-of-King-Cakes.html


	19. Chapter 19

"Are we seriously having cake for breakfast, love?"

Loki gave Phoenix a doubtful look while they stood in the long line outside a bakery with a sign bearing the name  ** _La Boulangerie_** **.**

"Yes we are," she smiled, licking her lips. "Besides, this cake is more like a pastry...and you can get fruit filling, if you like." 

"La Bow-lang-grr-I... Is my pronunciation accurate, darling?"

Phoenix giggled, shaking her head in mock sadness. "No, I'm afraid not. It's pronounced "La Boo-lawn-jeree." 

When Loki opened his mouth, a look of confusion on his face, Phoenix playfully put her finger to his lips. 

"Don't bother questioning it, sweetheart. It's French. It makes absolutely no sense." 

Loki's face lit up, and he took her finger away from his lips. He kissed her knuckles and smiled, but this time his face didn't show a trace of his usual mischievous demeanor. 

"Darling, I think that's the first time you've called me anything besides my name...or  _mischief maker_. You called me  _sweetheart_. Does it make me seem too invested if I say that I  _loved_ it?"

The line moved just as Phoenix was about to reply, but she took Loki's arm and looked him in the eye until they stopped walking again. 

"Loki, I remember the first time you called me  _love_. I loved it then, even though I figured that was just something your people did out of habit. I've wanted to call you  _sweetheart_ or  _baby_ for days, but I was afraid you would hate it. So, no, you definitely don't sound too invested." 

They finally reached the counter, and Phoenix winked at Loki, squeezing his arm. 

"So,  _baby_ , what kind of filling do you want in your King Cake?"

 

Loki was busy watching Phoenix lick stray green sugar sprinkles from her fingertips when a familiar figure caught his eye. He would have recognized the sound of her jingling skirt even in the largest crowd. Loki lowered his head hoping she wouldn't see him and start to curse at him in her chosen language again. 

"Damn...Phoenix, isn't that Madam Laveau?" Loki gestured toward the woman with his head without turning to look in her direction. 

"Sweet merciful heavens. I swear, you can't get away from the crazy ass people in this town. Yes, that's her. And she sees you."

"Gods, is she looking at me?" Loki whispered.

"Yes, actually. She's walking this way." 

"Fuck." 

 

"Well, well, well...if it isn't the disbeliever. I trust the gods have treated you well, cher?"

Madam Laveau had sidled up to the table behind Loki despite the disapproving glare from Phoenix. 

Loki's head slowly turned; his eyes narrowing at the woman. He was not in the mood to tangle with the fraudulent Voodoo mistress who was evidently unable to take a hint. 

"If you must know,  _Madam_ , I  _am_ a god. So yes, the gods are treating me quite well, thank you very much." 

Phoenix had to giggle because Loki's insincere gratitude sounded more like  _fuck you very much_ to her. Madam Laveau sneered at Loki, seemingly unimpressed by his statement. 

"You  _see_ yourself as a god because you were raised as one, but you do not know your true heritage. I wish you the best of luck in finding out what that is...and coping with it."

With that cryptic statement, she turned on her heel and walked away, leaving Loki staring open-mouthed after her. 

"What the hell was  _that_ supposed to mean?" Phoenix scoffed.

She was still giggling at the encounter, but Loki had sobered. His face was suddenly very solemn, and Phoenix couldn't understand why. 

"What's wrong? Wait a minute...you're not actually listening to her bullshit, are you? She isn't  _real_ , Loki. She  _stole_ that name from the  _real_ Marie Laveau who was one of the most infamous Voodoo queens who ever lived."

He didn't answer at first, but just sat shaking his head and staring at his hands. Then he looked up at her with a concerned expression on his face. 

"I don't look like any of them. Thor is blonde, muscular, and incredibly strong. I don't look like mother or father either. No one in our family has black hair or pale skin. None of them are cold like me. I have my mother's magic, but that's only because she gave it to me and instructed me from childhood. Father has always preferred Thor over me... I- I- Didn't you say you knew of some  _real_ Voodoo queens? Or someone who can make sense of this?"

Phoenix was both dumbfounded and utterly horrified by Loki's reaction to the woman's claims. She had thought he would simply laugh them off, but he seemed to be in the middle of a personal crisis, and she would do anything to help him. 

"I know of some, yes. But Loki...if you are adopted, what difference would it make? Would it be so bad to know that the mother and father you know wanted you badly enough to take care of you even though they aren't your real parents?"

"It makes a difference because it could be the sole reason I was sent here; because Odin wanted me out of his palace so his  _real_ son could take the throne with no resistence."

Phoenix didn't know what to say, so she covered his hands with her own, squeezing them gently. When Loki looked up at her, there were tears forming in her eyes. 

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I'll do anything I can to help you find the answers you need." 

_Even though the Voodoo Queen scares the hell out of me and gives me nightmares._

 

Hours later, after wading through crowds of drunk mortals in various states of undress, Phoenix and Loki climbed into a taxi and headed toward Rampart street. 

"Please drop us at the Voodoo Spiritual Temple," Phoenix said. 

"It's closed dis time of de evening, cher. You sure you wanna be going over der at dis time a night?" 

Loki was beginning to recognize the New Orleans natives by their accents alone, and the driver was definitely Creole. 

"Yes, thank you," Phoenix answered politely. 

 

When they arrived, Phoenix led Loki around the side of the ancient looking stone building, but didn't attempt to enter. She stopped in a well-concealed area and grasped his arm tightly. 

"Okay, I know you are a very strong man-  _god_ , I mean, but you absolutely  _must_ do exactly as I say. The woman we are about to meet is extremely dangerous. She is volatile, moody, and will curse the shit out of you if you cross her. And by _curse_ , I don't mean the way Madam Laveau cursed you. She'll make you wish you were dead."

Loki grinned, "She sounds  _delightful_."

Phoenix shot him an  _are you crazy_ look before leading him around the back of the building, whispering instructions the entire time. 

_"Don't say a word until she speaks to you. She may not even want to see us. If that's the case, we'll try again tomorrow."_

_"Please, whatever you do, don't mention the fact that you're a god. She won't like that one bit."_

Loki chuckled,  _"What's she going to do, worship me? Make a little dolly out of me?"_

_"This is no time for jokes, sweetheart. I would love to leave here with the same face I came in with."_

 

They made their way through the Spanish moss covered trees and suddenly Loki heard a low voice from the darkness. 

"Der is a newcomer in my circle...and a familiar bird. I have been expecting you, Loki of-- where, exactly? Dat is what you came to discover, is it not?"

It took a lot to give Loki the creeps, but the fact that this mortal woman knew his name as well as the reason he was traipsing around the forest in the middle of the night gave him chills. He hesitated before opening his mouth to answer, looking at Phoenix for her to give him the all-clear. She nodded frantically as if his allotted time for screwing around was up.

"Yes...that is why I am here, Madam. Or do you prefer Queen?" 

Loki still could not see her. They had entered a clearing of sorts, but the Voodoo woman had not shown herself, apparenly preferring to stay to the shadows for the moment. It made him uneasy.  _Never trust anyone who shrouds themselves...I should know._

"Ha! Smooth talker! You live up to your nickname, Silvertongue. I  _always_ prefer Queen." 

At this point, Phoenix was gripping Loki's arm so tightly, he thought she might be attempting to tell him something, but when he looked at her he realized she was just frightened. He responded by wrapping his arm around her waist, pulling her into his body to comfort her. He suddenly remembered their previous conversation about the Voodoo Queen and realized that Phoenix hadn't really wanted to be there at all. She had brought him because she cared for him and wanted him to get the answers he sought. The idea that she cared enough to face such fear overwhelmed him.  _I swear won't let anything happen to you, my love..._

"You are a god. Raised as a prince. But...dat is not your true heritage."

The Queen finally stepped out from her place in the shadows, and Loki felt Phoenix's shuddering breath against him. She was dressed in a black cloak; her wisen face made up with several strange markings that Loki recognized as runes. She had several sets of beads hanging around her neck, and she was cradling a tall candle in her hands. 

"I am no fortune teller, but since you are a god, I know things. Oh, I know things... Loki, not Odinson but  _Laufey_ son."

Loki stumbled backwards a few steps, pulling Phoenix along with him. His mouth fell open in shock; his mind refusing to believe what the Queen had just said.  _It can't be._

"No," he breathed, desperate. 

Phoenix saw the stricken expression on Loki's face, but she didn't understand why he was so horrified. 

"Loki, what is it? What's wrong?"

"It can't be..."

The Queen had the decency to look saddened by his response to the revelation. 

"Yes. You must now make peace with dis. Brooding over it will only bring you pain and suffering. You must remember who  _you_ are, not who your father is."

She slipped back into the shadows before Loki could question her any further, and Phoenix called a  _thank you_ into the darkness before pulling a despondent Loki through the trees and out into the street once more. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 19- Marie Laveau was an actual Voodoo queen. Here is a good website for more info: http://www.voodooonthebayou.net/marie_laveau.html
> 
> Anytime the word "cher" is used, it is a term of endearment. Typically used by Cajun men, it's like calling someone "dear" or something similar. Pronounced "Shah."  
> Eg: "Nice to meet you, cher."


	20. Chapter 20

Phoenix struggled to help Loki walk up the sidewalk. His body sagged against her as if the emotional horror he was experiencing was too much for him to bear. Thankfully, Phoenix noticed a taxi parked a few yards from where they were, and she waved her free arm in an attempt to get the driver's attention. When the taxi pulled up, the same driver from earlier rolled his window down; a concerned look on his face.

"You been to de Queen."

"Yes," Phoenix muttered sadly, looking at Loki's pained face as it hung around her neck. 

"She curse 'im?"

"No, no...she-- she told him some...unwanted news."

"C'mon den. Dis ride's on me. Where to, cher?"

The driver's kind smile almost made Phoenix burst into tears. She was so confused by Loki's sudden change in behavior, she didn't know what to do. All she had wanted was to help him, and now she felt like it was all her fault that he was in this state.  _Odinson and Laufeyson...how were they different? Why was one so much worse than the other?_ She was afraid to ask.

On the way to her apartment, Loki held onto her like a frightened child. The strong, brave God of Mischief who had scared the life out of the man who peed on her from a balcony was gone, replaced by a silent, grief-stricken shell. A few tears slipped down Phoenix's cheeks as she stroked his face and muttered what she hoped were comforting words against his neck. 

When they stopped, Phoenix was afraid she wouldn't be able to get him out of the cab, but he suddenly looked at her; a new kind of fire in his eyes. He grasped her shoulders tight enough to make her squirm before leaping out of the back seat and throwing his arms into the air. 

_"ODIN! YOU **LIAR!** I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME! IF YOU ARE ANY KIND OF KING, YOU'LL COME DOWN HERE AND TELL ME THE TRUTH YOURSELF! TELL ME WHERE I CAME FROM! **TELL ME WHY YOU SENT ME HERE!** SO YOUR PRECIOUS THOR COULD TAKE THE THRONE? WELL LET'S SEE HOW YOU FEEL WHEN I MAKE HIM SUFFER!"_

Loki was snarling and sneering at his father, and Phoenix wondered if Odin could  _actually_ hear him. At that point she figured anything was possible. She wanted to stop him, especially knowing her neighbors would be coming out to investigate, but she felt he needed the release more than anything at that moment. Her neighbors could just get fucked. 

The taxi had pulled away from the curb before Loki had begun yelling at the sky, but Phoenix saw blue lights coming up the street. 

"Loki... the cops! We have to get inside before they arrest you for causing a disturbance!" 

It was too late, however, because as soon as Phoenix had his attention, Loki fell to his knees in the grass, his head in his hands. She knelt down next to him and rubbed the back of his neck soothingly. Loki let out a sob, and Phoenix awkwardly wrapped her arms around him until the police cruiser pulled up to the curb, and the officer rolled his window down. 

"We received a call about a disturbance, ma'am. What seems to be the problem?" 

The officer's furrowed brow and no-nonsense demeanor told her that she had better come up with something good  _very_ quickly or they would both be spending the night behind bars. 

"I'm so sorry officer...my b-boyfriend just found out that his brother passed away. He's very distraught. I promise I will get him inside right now if you'll let us go. He didn't mean any harm. He's just--" 

"Alright ma'am. Just get him in the house. I had better not get any more calls from here tonight, though, or you'll both be in jail. Do you need help? He looks like he might be hard to handle at the moment."

Phoenix looked at Loki, considering the officer's offer, but declined. She didn't think Loki would appreciate the other man's help, especially in his current state. When the officer left, Loki lifted his head and Phoenix thought she saw the ghost of a smirk on his lips. 

"That was quite a tale, my love. You just might be the Goddess of Mischief...and I loved how you referred to me as your boyfriend. Although when you find out what I really am, you probably won't want me for long."

"Loki," she admonished, "I can't imagine that  _ever_ being the case...come on, sweetheart, let's go inside before that cop comes back. I'll do anything to help you feel better. All you have to do is ask." Phoenix offered Loki her hand, and he took it; standing up to walk into her apartment. 

 

"Will you tell me what all of this means, love? I don't mean to pry. I just-- I want to know how I can help."

They were seated at the kitchen table after Phoenix had poured them both a glass of Rum. She suspected it wouldn't help Loki's nerves, but it was definitely settling hers. 

"It means...well, it means I'm a monster, Phoenix. Or at the very least, the son of a monster. Laufey is the king of Jotunheim, home of Asgard's sworn enemies- the frost giants. If the Queen is to be believed, and I truly  _am_ his son, then I  _must_ possess some of his traits." 

He waved his hands in front of himself. "All of  _this_ must be an illusion. The real me is trapped in here somewhere, Phoenix, and he is not  _anything_ like this."

"What do they- the frost giants- look like?" Phoenix asked in a timid voice, almost afraid she would shatter his currently calm demeanor. 

Loki let out a long sigh before answering her. His eyes held such sadness and uncertainty, it took her breath. 

"They are twelve foot tall beasts with blood red eyes, blue skin, and horns. But their appearance isn't the only frightening thing about them, love. They are vicious; able to freeze anything and everything in their path. They have destroyed entire cities. I grew up listening to the horrors they left in their wake, and now...now I find out I am  _one of them_."

"But how do you look like this, then? How is that possible? Maybe you don't have any of his traits...maybe they're recessive genes--"

"I assure you that I do, love. Odin probably made me to look this way when he found out what I was. Although I have no idea why he kept me in Asgard in the first place. What could he have  _possibly_ wanted with me?" 

Phoenix saw Loki start to grit his teeth again, and she reached across the table to touch his arm. 

"Shh... It's okay. We'll find out, sweetheart. We will get the answers you need. I promise. Loki, I--" 

Phoenix stopped mid-sentence. She was afraid of the words that were on the tip of her tongue; afraid that now was not the time to share them. But when she saw Loki's face, all of her self-preservation left her and she heard herself continue before realizing what was happening. 

"I don't care what you really are, or how you really look. You could never be a..a beast, or a monster. To me, you're-- well, you're like my own personal hero...The only reason this bothers me at all is because I know it is hurting you so much...Loki, I--I love you."

She couldn't look at him for fear he would reject her declaration immediately, so she dropped her gaze down to her empty glass on the table. 

"Do you mean that? You-- don't care that I might not look this way, or that I came from the realm of monsters?" He whispered. 

"No," she replied, still staring at her glass.

"What if I have blue skin? Blood-red eyes? Horns?"

"You're still you..."

"Gods, Phoenix, you don't know what you're saying, but-- I love you too."

Phoenix looked up in shock as Loki stood and took her in his arms. 

"All my life I've been treated differently; by everyone except my mother. Now I know the reason. And even after I've told you what I am, you still  _love_ me...Darling, I knew I loved you when I held you in your bathtub after that balcony incident, but I was afraid you didn't feel the same for me." 

He lifted her so that she was cradled against his chest, and kissed her sweetly. 

"Can I take you to bed now, my love? I don't want to think about Odin or Thor or Asgard anymore tonight. All I want is to make love to you."

"Yes...please."

 


	21. Chapter 21

Loki carried Phoenix to the bedroom, her legs wrapped tightly around his hips. He gently laid her on the bed, removing her shoes and sliding his hands all the way up her legs until he reached the top of her thighs. Leaning down, he looked into her eyes. 

"When Odin banished me and sent me here, I thought my life was over. I landed here, no more powerful than a mortal man. He stripped me of my magic, my title as prince of Asgard, and left me here as if I meant nothing at all to him. I had no idea what I had been missing..."

Phoenix reached up to stroke his cheek, reveling in his sweet words. 

"I was so afraid you'd reject me. I almost didn't say anything at all, but sometimes you just have to take a risk...and I'm glad I did."

Loki smiled, then leaned down to press open mouthed kisses on her neck. His hands were still braced on her thighs, and his hips were rubbing delicious friction against her core. Phoenix shuddered at the feel of his breath on her throat as his lips made their way up to her ear. He pulled her lobe into his mouth and teased it with his tongue before whispering soft words in her ear. 

"You had me the moment I saw you, love. It was I who was afraid of rejection."

Loki closed his eyes and leaned into Phoenix's touch as she ran her fingers through his hair. He shifted their bodies so they were lying on the bed; her legs still wrapped around him, but his hands were free to touch her cheek. He stroked her temple with his thumb, then pressed sweet kisses to her lips. 

"There's something I need you to understand, love. I need answers...about my parentage, about my life. I need to get my seidr back because it is a part of me, and I feel lost without it. I need to make  _them_ understand the position they have put me in."

Phoenix nodded. 

"But, darling, I don't need to be a prince. I don't need to be in Asgard. In fact, if they  _tried_ to bring me back, I would fight them. I need you more than any of those things combined. If I hadn't met you...Gods, I don't even want to think about that...but if I hadn't, this would be a  _lot_ worse for me. And for them. Right at this very moment, I would be seeking vengeance. Against Odin. Against Laufey. Against anyone who dared stand in my way...What I'm trying to say, love, is that you've... _saved_ me...from myself."

Phoenix's eyes watered, and she tried to blink the tears away, but she couldn't. They started to spill out of the corners of her eyes anyway. 

"No, darling. Please don't cry. I didn't mean to make you cry," Loki whispered, wiping the moisture away with his thumb.

"It's okay, really. I'm just happy I could help you in some small way. You've come to mean so much to me in such a short time, and I can't stand to see you hurting. I just want to make it stop. I want to- to- wrap my arms around you so no one hurts you ever again. Is this what love does to people?" 

Loki chuckled, "Yes, darling. I believe it is. If you remember, I nearly killed a mortal for relieving himself on your hair."

Phoenix giggled, and Loki was so enchanted by the sound that he interrupted her by claiming her lips with his own. Suddenly, it wasn't funny anymore. Loki's hands were tangled in her hair, his tongue was caressing her lips, and Phoenix was breathing heavily, running her hands down the hard muscles in his shoulders. She began pulling at his shirt, trying to free it from the waistband of his pants, so Loki reached down and unbuttoned them.

Phoenix ran her hands underneath the fabrc, loving the feel of his strong chest on her palms. As she did, he pulled her shirt over her head, exposing her breasts to the cool air, then immediately taking one nipple into his mouth. Phoenix's hands stopped moving, but her fingers dug into his skin as she arched up to meet his lips. With one hand, Loki deftly unbuttoned his shirt and removed it, flinging it to the floor along with hers. His other hand snaked its way down her body, slowly pushing her skirt down until it was loosely hanging around her ankles.

Loki began moving down her body, slowly gliding his tongue over each dip and curve as Phoenix writhed on the bed underneath him. His lips caught her hip bone, and he paused to suck on her flesh, leaving a deep purple bruise in his wake. Proud of his mark, he kissed it and continued moving until he reached the apex of her thighs. There, he pressed his lips against her panties and gently released his cool breath through the thin fabric, smirking when Phoenix gasped. His skilled fingers worked their way under the lacy trim to tease her folds as he continued to breathe against her already sensitive clit. 

When Phoenix started to buck her hips and call out to him, he pulled her panties down with his teeth and finally slid two fingers deep inside her. He wasn't finished teasing her yet, though because he continued to do the same with his mouth. Gently, sweetly, he blew on her, varying the force of his breath each time while curling his fingers and massaging her as her walls contracted around his fingers. Soon, Phoenix was panting and  _begging_ him to make her come. 

"Loki... _please_ ," she whimpered, so softly he barely heard her through her heavy breathing. 

He was so used to teasing her to the brink of madness, he had to make himself stop. He wanted to make love to her; wanted this to be  _special_ , so he did exactly as she asked. 

His mouth was on her in an instant, and he was once again amazed at her taste. He licked and sucked at her, wanting to devour as much of it as possible, but before long he felt her begin to tense. He latched onto her, circling his tongue and sucking, faster and faster; all the while plunging his fingers into her. He heard her cry out; felt all the muscles inside her tense up, and for once, he  _felt_ like a god. 

Loki gently withdrew his fingers, licking them and savoring her taste. He looked up from between her legs, smirking at her, and began licking her clean. The feel of his mouth gliding over her sensitive folds were driving Phoenix to uncomfortable arousal again.

Then she felt his tongue slide inside her. 

"Oh,  _God!_ " 

Loki looked up once again; his pupils dilated with lust. 

"You taste so delicious...I couldn't waste any of it," he whispered, a slightly wicked grin on his face. 

When he was finished, he stood and pulled his pants down, revealing his hard length. Phoenix longed to touch him, take him into her mouth, but Loki had other plans. He crawled back up on the bed so that he hovered above her. His eyes were suddenly intense, but soft.

"I said I wanted to make love to you, and that is what I am going to do." 

Before she could answer, Loki's mouth was on hers. He kissed her like her lips were flower petals, and he was afraid of breaking them. His tongue swept over them, then tangled with her own, and he stroked her face as if she were precious to him. She felt his arousal pressing against her, and she reached between them, touching him with her fingertips. Loki sucked in a sharp breath, so she gripped him and guided him toward her entrance. 

"I  _need_ you, Loki."

Without a word, he entered her with one slow thrust, groaning in her ear when he was fully seated inside her. He snaked his arms behind her back and held her head as he kissed her, thrusting into her and moaning into her mouth.

"You're so perfect, my beautiful Phoenix," Loki muttered as he pressed soft kisses down her neck.

Phoenix had never felt so adored in all her life. His sweet, gentle touches brought tears to her eyes. 

As they both drew closer to climax, Loki's thrusts grew harder and more insistant, but still he held her, looking into her eyes as she began to call out to him. 

"Loki...oh, Loki..."

" _Come for me, my love."_

Loki's chest was brushing against hers, and the feel of his skin against her own, his mouth so close to hers, his intense gaze on her face...it was all too much for her. She fell apart. Phoenix came so hard, tears ran down the sides of her face, and she could only gasp his name. 

Watching Phoenix come undone for him was all it took for Loki to find his own release. As soon as she had finished, his hands tightened their grip on her shoulders, and he thrust into her once more before spilling his seed deep inside. He dropped his head down next to hers in his overwhelming pleasure and heard himself murmuring four words into her ear over and over again;  _I love you, Phoenix._

 

 

 

 


	22. Chapter 22

"I have to go to work at five today. Do you think you'll be alright on your own until I get off tonight?"

It was only 9 in the morning, but Phoenix was already picturing Loki wandering the streets, bored out of his mind. She just wanted to make sure he wouldn't get lost. Or worse, arrested. 

His eyebrows knit together as he lay stretched out next to her gently running his hand down her back. 

"I'll be fine, love. Actually, I was hoping to do a bit of research today, but maybe you could point me in the right direction before you have to leave. When will you return?"

"I get off at midnight, so I should be back soon after that. What are you researching  _here_?" 

Loki shrugged as if she should have known the answer.

"Voodoo. I have to find out as much as I can about the...craft, especially if I am to believe this Queen. For example, why does Madam Laveau have those ridiculous dolls hanging all over her shop? The Queen didn't have any of them, and she  _clearly_ has a connection to the gods if she knew who I was before she even saw my face."

Phoenix sighed heavily, rolling onto her back. 

"Madam Laveau  _lied_ about those dolls, Loki. She doesn't use them to communicate with the gods. That's what she tells everyone so they don't think Voodoo is some kind of barbaric practice. What is  _actually_ done with the dolls is-- well, they use them to sorta get what they want, essentially." 

Phoenix's words piqued Loki's interest, and he sat up on the bed, looking at her as if waiting for more information. When it didn't come, he cocked his head in an  _I'm waiting_ gesture. 

"They're not nice at all. I mean, they say some of the dolls are used to draw love or money to the person who possesses them, but most of them are used for...  _torture_." 

" _What?_ How could anyone use a pathetic little toy like that for torture?"

Phoenix's mood dropped as she thought back to her own parents' suffering at the hands of a few angry Voodoo practitioners. She had been much younger, so she didn't know what was happening to them at the time, but she understood that they were in pain. She also knew there was nothing that could be done. The fact that they had hidden her away for months afterward out of fear only traumatized her further. 

She didn't really feel like explaining the effects to Loki, but she felt he deserved as much information as he could get. 

"Well, it's strange, really. I think you have to  _believe_ in what you're doing for it to actually work, but Voodoo practitioners do things  _to_ the dolls in order to hurt other people. They make the dolls to represent the person they want to hurt, and they-- they stick them with pins, or-- b-break their arms, or-- or..." 

"Gods, Phoenix. You're trembling. What's wrong, love?" 

Phoenix shook her head, not wanting to talk about her parents. She took a deep, steadying breath before leaning into his chest. 

"It's nothing. I'm fine... I just got caught up in my own head for a moment." 

Loki gave her a look that said  _I'm not that easily fooled_ , but he humored her, feeling as though she really didn't want to talk about it. He pulled her close and rubbed her arms, chasing the goosebumps away before tilting her chin up with his finger. 

"I know you're frightened of something, love. And I know you don't want to talk about it right now, and that is okay. When you feel like telling me about it, I'll be here. But I want you to know that you needn't worry while I am around. I will  _never_ let anyone harm you, darling."

Phoenix nodded, whispering a  _thank you_ , but also thinking that the psychological damage had already been done years ago. There wasn't much he could do to change that. 

 

 

"Are you  _sure_ you'll be alright while I'm gone? I can see if they'll let me stay home a few more days if you need me to." 

Phoenix didn't want to leave, but she needed the money. She actually  _detested_ working at The Dark Entry, not because of the store itself, but because of the clientele. Every night, there was another group of obnoxious men who thought she was a prostitute simply because she worked in a sex shop. That had gotten old after only a week, and she'd been there for much longer. 

"Don't fret, my love. I will be fine. I might even go back to that lovely cafe' for some of those squishy pastries..." Loki said, licking his lips. 

"Well, I left some  _Midgardian_ money for you so you wouldn't try to give them gold," she giggled. 

Loki grabbed her arms, swiftly pulling her against his chest and kissing her breathless.

"I love you, Phoenix. I'll come and collect you at midnight. I don't want you walking to the trolley alone."

"I've done it for years, Loki..."

"Never again, my love. I can't take that risk."

"Okay, if you insist. I love you too..." 

 

When Phoenix closed the door behind her, there was a woman standing on the sidewalk. She was wearing a long blue velvet dress trimmed with fancy gold decorations, and she had braided hair that fell all the way to her waist. She looked to be middle aged, but she was one of the most beautiful women Phoenix had ever seen, although she  _was_ wearing strange clothing, even by New Orleans standards. 

"Pardon me, I am looking for my son. I was informed he was staying with you. You're Phoenix, correct?" 

Phoenix felt her mouth fall open, but there was absolutely nothing she could do about it. 

"I, um...Yes, I'm Phoenix. And you are?"

"You may call me Frigga. I am Loki's mother."

Phoenix quickly and awkwardly held out her hand, wondering if hand shaking was even a  _thing_ on Asgard. Frigga was very gracious, though, and accepted it. However, she didn't shake it. She kissed it. 

"L-Loki's inside. By all means, come it. I'm sorry it's a mess..."

 

Phoenix opened the door, allowing Frigga to go first, and immediately heard Loki's shocked gasp. 

"Mother! You  _came_...I- I didn't think..." 

When Phoenix walked into the room, she almost felt like she was intruding on a private moment. Frigga had gathered Loki into her arms, and was holding him close like a child. Looking to Loki's face, she saw silent tears falling from his eyes. She turned to go, but Loki called her name, stopping her. 

"Phoenix...don't go. Please stay with us. I  _need_ you here. Can you stay?" 

She took one look at his pleading eyes, and knew she could never deny him anything, so she called work, claiming to have a migraine. Evidently, business was exceedingly slow anyway due to the number of people who'd been drinking until midnight the previous night, so they would be fine without her. 

"Loki, of  _course_ I came. I am, and always will be your mother. I have precious little time before your father returns, though, so I must make this quick." 

Frigga was holding Loki by his arms, as if he was still barely ten years old. It was obvious she loved him. Phoenix could see why Loki missed her so much. She was like an angel. 

"I came to tell you the truth. I know you heard about your...parentage...from someone else, and I never meant for that to happen. I wanted to tell you when you were just a boy, but your father wouldn't allow it. He had his reasons, I suppose. But now I feel it is my job as your mother to tell you, whether he approves or not."

"After the battle with Jotunheim, Odin found you abandoned in the temple. He didn't want to leave you there. You were just a baby. So he brought you home, and we disguised you as one of our own. Loki-- we love you. You are our son. You are  _just as important_ to us as Thor." 

Loki didn't say anything. He just stood there, shocked. So Frigga continued, all the while rubbing his arms soothingly. 

"Laufey is your biological father, just as the woman told you, but darling, Odin will always be your  _true_ father." 

When Loki finally spoke, he was gritting his teeth just as he was the night before. 

"Did Odin banish me here so I wouldn't get in the way of his  _precious_ Thor's coronation? So Thor could take the throne without the interference of his  _adopted Jotun_  son?"

Frigga smiled sadly, but ignored his question. 

"I only have a few more minutes, so I wanted to do one more thing before I have to go. I know your father stripped you of your seidr, but I don't want you here without any defenses, my son. Please, for my sake, only use it if you  _have to_." 

Frigga grasped Loki's hands, and Phoenix watched as light passed from her hands into his. Loki's hands glowed with an otherworldly green that traveled up his arms and straight into his chest before disappearing. 

"Thank you, mother," he said, sincerity in his eyes. 

"To answer your previous question; your father sent you here to give you some perspective. That had nothing to do with Thor. Thor begged him not to banish you. He has been your biggest advocate as of late. In fact, he has been on my side all these years, in wanting to tell you the truth, but your father swore him to secrecy." 

Loki's eyes suddenly flashed with anger, but he didn't say a word. Instead, it seemed as though his jaw had been anchored shut. Phoenix assumed he was only trying to be respectful toward his mother, especially since she couldn't stay. 

"Loki, please stay safe. I must go now before your father returns. He has no idea I came to see you."

She turned to Phoenix and smiled. 

"Phoenix, it was lovely to meet you, dear. You have my sincere thanks for caring for my son." 

"Take good care of her, Loki."

Frigga hugged him once more, then walked out onto the sidewalk and disappeared. 

 

When Phoenix closed the door, she turned to see Loki red-faced and shaking with anger. 

"Sweetheart, what's wrong? I saw your face. I knew there was somet--" 

"Thor  _knew!_ Thor  _knew what I was, and he didn't tell me!_ " 


	23. Chapter 23

Phoenix was at a loss for words. She had hoped a visit from Frigga would cheer Loki up considerably, but it seemed to only make him angrier. He paced back and forth, clenching his jaw and muttering foreign curse words under his breath. 

"What can I do, love? How can I help?" 

"You can bring my brutish brother down here so I can  _kill him_. That's what you can do." 

When he looked up at her, Phoenix saw that he had tears in his eyes. He wasn't angry; not really.

He was  _hurt_.

Again. 

"We spent every waking moment together for as long as I can remember. Aside from the times I trained with mother, Thor and I were inseperable. Now I find out that he knew  _all along_ , and he never bothered to tell me. He  _knew_ what this would do to me. He also knew that I had absolutely  _no chance_ at inheriting the throne, but he stood by and let Odin convince us that we were both  _worthy sons_." 

A single tear made its way down his cheek, but he roughly brushed it off with the back of his hand. 

Phoenix took a step toward him as if she were approaching a frightened animal. She was almost afraid he would bolt if she moved too quickly. The look in his eyes was so wild at that moment, she had no idea what else was rattling around inside his head. 

"The  _Mighty_ Thor! Too cowardly to tell his own bro-- well, I guess we're  _not_ brothers-- too cowardly to tell me what I really am.  _Skinny, little Loki_ with the womanly magical talent, and that big Bilgesnipe ass was too afraid to tell me I was not even part of the family! I mean, who _am I_? The son of a monster, that's who. But, who is my mother? It's not as if Queen Frigga would ever lay with the likes of Laufey. She's far too good for him. Hel, she's far too good for Odin." 

Loki had worked himself into quite a frenzy, and Phoenix could see that if she didn't intervene, he would be out in the lawn yelling curses at the sky before long. She continued to move closer to him, secretly hoping he would rant until she reached him. She had no idea what she would do when she arrived though. It wasn't as if she could throw a pillow case over his head and smuggle him out of the room. 

"All these years, I wondered why Odin never even looked in my direction when I accomplished something noteworthy. I wondered why Thor was always his favorite. I wondered why he never acted as happy to see me after a battle; as if he was indifferent about my survival. I trained  _so hard_ trying to keep up with his  _precious_ Thor, but I never measured up. At least now I know why. He could never have me sitting on the throne. Asgardians  _detest_ frost giants..." 

Phoenix had been concentrating so hard on reaching Loki without upsetting him that she hadn't noticed the green glow surrounding his hands. Tiny green sparks flew from his fingertips every time he moved his arms. Evidently his distress was causing him to inadvertently use his magic. When she finally closed the gap between them, Loki's eyes focused on her face, and she watched as he crumpled in front of her. 

"Phoenix, I... I thought I could _trust_ Thor. I was always a bit jealous of him, but we were close. We fought together; played together...and now I find out he never cared for me at all. And neither do the rest of my so-called family. I have no home. I belong to no one. Obviously, _Laufey_ didn't want me. He left me to die. How does anyone leave a  _baby_? Even a _Jotun_  baby must be lovable." 

 The tears that had been intermittent up until that point, now flowed freely down his cheeks, and Phoenix's heart broke for him. She didn't know what to say. Telling him he had a home with her seemed like such a weak offering when pitted against the home he once had. 

"But...Frigga. Loki, she  _loves_ you. She loves you enough to risk angering your father, evidently. She said so herself. And, I know this doesn't help right now, but...you have a home with me for as long as you want it. I know it's not Asgard, and it's not a palace, but--" 

Loki cut her off. 

"I already told you I don't need those things, darling. And knowing I have a home here with you helps more than you know. I guess I had hoped there was still one person who hadn't betrayed me. I had hoped Thor wasn't part of this- this thousand year old secret. I should have known better. At least now I know. Now I know Odin's preferential treatment had nothing to do with my lack of talent and everything to do with me being doomed from birth." 

Phoenix didn't know what else to say, so she took Loki's hands and pulled him toward the couch. They sat down, and Loki immediately curled up next to her, allowing her to wrap her arms around him. For the longest time, Phoenix sat rubbing Loki's back in an attempt to soothe him. It was difficult to assimilate the angry god who'd rescued her from a drunken party animal just a few nights ago with the child-like soul who was sitting on her couch. He was so vulnerable, she was afraid one wrong move would send his pieces scattering in every direction. So she did her best to hold him together. 

 

 

"Would you like to see some magic, love?" Loki asked after what seemed like hours of cuddling in silence. 

"Didn't Frigga say not to use it unless you had to?"

Loki looked up at Phoenix, and she was glad to see his smirk had reappeared. 

"Well, she doesn't know that I can hide myself from Heimdall anytime I want. That's how I got myself into this mess in the first place." 

Phoenix's confusion showed on her face, so Loki explained in as little words as possible. 

"You see, love, Heimdall is the gatekeeper. He sees all. He watches over the Nine Realms. So, if you're planning to do something...nefarious, you had better be prepared to either shroud yourself as I did, or defend yourself in the palace court."

"So, he can  _see_ _us_ right now?" Phoenix asked; her eyes as wide as saucers. 

"If he chooses to look upon us, then yes. And I would wager he has been ordered to watch me as much as possible. Now, I shall make it so he cannot see what I am about to show you." 

Loki held up his hands, which glowed green once again, and suddenly Phoenix's living room became slightly hazy. It almost looked like it was full of fog, but she could still see him perfectly. The other objects in the room, however, were difficult to make out. 

"What did you do?"

"I cloaked this room so he can't see us, darling. Now I can show you what  _else_ I can do. Do you want to see?" 

Phoenix smiled, nodding. She loved the way his face lit up when he talked about his magic. He looked like a child talking about a favorite toy. She was excited to see what he was capable of, but she was in no way prepared for it. 

As soon as she nodded her head, the green light in Loki's hands spread into a ball of light so bright it lit up the entire room. Seconds later, he tossed it toward the ceiling causing it to burst. Thousands of tiny stars flew around the room, attaching themselves to various points creating a galaxy in her living room. Phoenix's mouth fell open as the stars began to orbit around Loki as if he was their sun. 

"Do you like it, darling?" 

"Y-you made space... in my apartment. Do I  _like_ it? It's  _brilliant!_ You're  _brilliant_ , Loki. I had no idea  _this_ was the kind of magic you were talking about." 

"It's just an illusion, love. They aren't real. But I'm glad you're pleased." 

Phoenix continued to gape at the beautiful night sky floating around her ceiling. She was having trouble believing this was real, so she gave herself a sharp pinch on the arm. 

"Ow,  _shit_." 

"Did you just...?"

"Had to make sure I wasn't dreaming all of this."

"So you  _hurt_ yourself? I'm sorry, love, but some things mortals do just confound me."

Loki pulled her arm to his mouth, giving it a quick peck. 

"What else can you do? Do you use your magic in battle?"

"Oh, yes. I tend to use clones to confuse the enemy. That way I can move about freely while they attempt to attack my illusions rather than myself," he winked. 

Phoenix's mind immediately dove headfirst into the gutter, and she blushed when she realized Loki's eyes were assessing her. 

"Clones? Of you? Like, more men just like you?" 

He grinned knowingly at her; his eyebrows raised. "Just like me, my love. Would you like to see?"

Phoenix's cheeks burned, but she was not going to let her embarrassment stop her from seeing  _this_. She nodded, letting out a soft  _mmhmm_ before putting her hands over her face. All she could think about was having  _two_   _of them_ running their hands over her body. 

She didn't watch him cast the spell this time, so when he cleared his throat and she looked up, there was indeed another Loki standing directly in front of her. She turned to look at the  _real_ Loki; her expression completely unreadable. 

 _"Can he do everything you can do?"_ she whispered. 

"Ehehehe...you don't have to whisper, darling. If I can hear you, so can he. And yes, he can do anything I want him to do," he winked. 

"Would you like to see?" 

The clone reached out and ran his fingertip down Phoenix's collarbone, making her shiver. 

 _"Yes._ " 

 


	24. Chapter 24

Phoenix lay naked on her back in the middle of her plush living room rug. Her back arched as the two Lokis licked down the overly sensitive flesh on her stomach. She no longer knew which one of them was the  _real_ Loki. They both looked- and felt- exactly the same, which blew her mind. She gasped as one of them took her nipple into his mouth while simultaneously rubbing her breast with just enough roughness to make her cry out in pleasure. The other Loki spread her knees and began licking and kissing down her thigh. 

He looked up momentarily, smirking at her as she lay panting; her head spinning with pleasure. 

"So, love, is he as good as I am?"

Phoenix couldn't answer. She simply let out a tiny whimper as he went back to his task, dipping his head down between her legs and lapping at her entrance. The second Loki most certainly  _was_ as good as the first, though. He climbed on top of her to linger at her neck, placing open-mouthed kisses all along her throat until he reached her mouth. Then he licked her lips to coax them open before delving into her mouth with reckless abandon. 

At the same moment, she felt the real Loki latch onto her sensitive bud, sucking, while sliding two deft fingers inside her. It was almost more than she could take. She moaned into the clone's mouth, and he gently nipped at her tongue with his teeth. His right hand was tangled in her hair, just as Loki's would normally be, and his left was roaming down her body, tickling her ribs and teasing her breast. He seemed to be licking into her mouth at the same time that Loki was thrusting his fingers inside her quivering body, and it was only moments before she felt herself nearing the edge. The feel of Loki's tongue circling her; his fingers curling against her walls; the clone's hand dancing across her skin, his mouth moving against hers...she started to cry out. When she did, the clone gave a sharp tug at her hair, and she lost control. 

Phoenix gasped as Loki continued to lick and suck until she was completely spent; her legs loosely hanging over his arms, and her head lolling to the side. Loki's clone was softly kissing her cheek and soothing the side of her head where he had pulled her hair. She hadn't minded that at all, but she supposed he thought she might be sore.  _Did he have Loki's thoughts, or his own?_  

That was her last coherent thought before they began again. 

Loki pulled Phoenix to her feet before kissing her passionately, and she could taste herself on his lips. It was surprisingly intoxicating, and she moaned at the memory of his mouth moving on her. Loki's clone stepped up behind her and ran his hands down her back, tickling her with his fingertips. Without warning, he grasped the backs of her legs and licked her all the way from the middle of her back down to her tailbone. When she arched her back, gasping, Loki suckled her nipple, further enhancing her pleasure. The clone sank down to the floor onto his back and began touching Phoenix as Loki continued to torture her breasts. 

When Phoenix began to gasp Loki's name, he looked up at her, grinning mischievously. 

"Can you get on your hands and knees, love?"

_"Yes."_

"Then turn around and sink to your knees- don't mind him... he knows _exactly_   _where to go_ ," he winked. 

She did as she was told, and Loki moved behind her, grasping her hips. With one swift thrust, he entered her, filling her completely and making her bite her lip; groaning. She struggled for balance until she felt the clone's hands move to grip her waist. He had slithered underneath her; his head between her legs and his body opposite of where Loki's was. As Loki began to move, the clone pressed his mouth to her clit; licking and sucking, all while tenderly caressing her waist.

Phoenix was so overwhelmed by the sensations, she couldn't stop the moans and gutteral noises from escaping her lips. She heard Loki groan behind her; felt his grip on her hips tighten with each thrust, and she knew he was close. When she heard him gasp her name as he thrust hard into her, her body began to tense. Loki continued his sharp thrusts as his clone licked and kissed her inner thighs while rubbing at her clit with his fingers. Loki's loud gasps and moans finally pushed her over the edge, and she came over and over again.

She cried out as Loki and his clone continued to draw out her climax until she felt herself almost go completely limp. With one more deep thrust and a loud gasp, Loki found his own release.

Seconds later, he snapped his fingers, making the clone disappear, and pulled Phoenix into a tight, loving embrace. 

"I almost became jealous, darling...except that I can feel everything he can." 

 _"Sweet mother._ That was...You can  _feel_ everything he can feel?"

"That was what, love? You can't just leave me hanging like that. And yes, of course I can. He's me. I'm him." 

"It was brilliant. Although if we did that very often, I think I might die of a heart attack... So, you  _control him?"_

 _"_ Ehehehe... I would never allow that to happen, my love. I do control him, yes. It's not a lot to think about when I'm using them for battle, but when I can feel you clenching around me, and I can  _taste_ your sweet essence all at the same time, it is quite distracting. I actually prefer having you all to myself." 

Loki kissed Phoenix tenderly, then gathered her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom where they lay quietly curled against each other. Eventually, Phoenix fell asleep, and Loki watched as her eyelids fluttered; her chest rose and fell, and her lips parted as she relaxed. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep, so he held her close until he knew she wouldn't wake, and then set out on his own personal mission. 

 

 

No one gave him a second glance as he walked through the city streets; the hood of his dark green cloak pulled over his face. Although it was over ninety degrees outside, he couldn't risk being recognized by anyone who had seen him in the previous few days, if only because he didn't want any trouble. Eyes scanning the tiny shops that lined the street, he searched for one in particular he loathed returning to. However, he didn't know anywhere else to go for the item he needed. 

Madam Laveau was surprised to see the otherworldly man, especially considering the way their last encounter had ended. He  _was_ handsome, though, so she decided to greet him politely, seeing as how he was entering her store without his annoying girl by his side. 

"Eh  _cher_ , I am surprised to see you...but dis is a good surprise for sure!" 

Loki clenched his jaw as Madam Laveau's eyes raked over him. The woman was creepy as hell, and her personality changed faster than her clothing. He pulled his cloak tight around him and gestured around the room. 

"I need to contact a...god." 

She gave him a wide, sarcastic smile and licked her lips. 

"But my dear, did you not say dat you  _are_ a god? Looking at you, I do not doubt it."

Loki rolled his eyes and sighed. Then, without warning, he flung his hood off, roughly grabbing Madam Laveau by her shoulders and shaking her. The startled look on her face was extremely satisfying. At least the old mortal hag would stop coming on to him. 

"My patience is thin, in case you haven't noticed. I  _am_ a god. I need to contact a  _different_ one. Actually, if you must know, I need to  _torture_ a different one. He pissed me off greatly. I don't need any specific doll. I can manipulate it to look the way I need it to. And I don't need your meager tools either. I have my own methods." 

When she finally managed to close her mouth, Madam Laveau tried to act as though she didn't know what he was talking about.  _That_ only made Loki angrier. 

" _Cher_ , I tink you have de wrong idea. We do not use de dolls for torture...dey are to contact de gods--"

Loki didn't even let her finish before glaring at her until she fell mute. 

" _Marie Laveau_ \-- by the way, I know that is a name you  _stole_ , I am the god of mischief and  _lies_ , and I know you are  _lying_. The gods would not be pleased." 

His voice was low and menacing, and it left Madam Laveau shaking in fear. 

"Alright, alright. Just get whatever you need and get out!" 

Loki pushed a handful of gold coins from his pocket at her before choosing a doll. 

"It's been a pleasure,  _Madam_."

With that, he pulled his hood up and stalked out of the shop. 

As soon as he left, Madam Laveau sunk down to the floor, pulling her shaking body into the fetal position, muttering nonsense. 

 

 

Phoenix's eyes flew open. She had no idea what had woken her, but her heart was pounding. She glanced at the clock on her bedside table. It was 3 am. Sleepily, she wriggled closer to Loki, hoping her sudden movement hadn't woken him as well. Feeling around in the dark, she couldn't find him. She moved around until she had covered the entire bed. No Loki. 

Finally giving up on going back to sleep without him, she switched on the lamp and walked out into the kitchen, feeling sure he was just sitting at the table still brooding about his brother, but he wasn't there either. 

"Loki?" 

No answer. 

" _Loki?"_

\--

 _" **Loki!**_ " 


	25. Chapter 25

Loki slipped into the shadows between two buildings and immediately cast a spell to cloak himself from Heimdall. He pulled the tiny Voodoo doll from his pocket, frowning at its poor design. It seemed to be made of nothing but a few scraps of cloth and some spare sticks of wood some pathetic mortal had found on the ground. Its hair was dark, and it was wearing a tiny yellow shirt with some ridiculous tribal design. He thought back to Phoenix's words. She'd said people either bought them or made them to look like the person they were attacking, so Loki set out to do just that. 

Waving his hand, he watched with a smirk as the doll grew long blonde hair in the place of its former straw-like brown locks. He then gave the doll a face; nothing fancy, just something for him to focus on when he released his forthcoming ire. It had tiny, beady blue eyes and a short beard. Next, he formed a suit of armor that perfectly resembled that of his subject. Loki let out a wild laugh when he was finished. The doll disgusted him. It was  _perfect_. 

"Well, hello there,  _brother_." 

 

Phoenix was frantic. After searching every corner of her apartment for Loki, she quickly threw some clothes on, praying he hadn't gotten himself arrested while she was asleep. She ran out the door and down the street, looking in every direction for him, but he was nowhere to be found. She had secretly hoped she would find him in the lawn, but now she was starting to worry that he had somehow found a way back to Asgard. Her heart clenched painfully at the thought. Just a few days ago, she had convinced herself that she could let him go when the time came. Now, she felt as if she would throw up at the thought. 

To make matters worse, her imagination kept throwing scenarios at her:

_What if he found a way back to Asgard, only to fight his brother?_

_What if he ended up banished to some other planet? Somewhere much, much worse than here?_

 

 

"Come down here and face me like the  _great warrior_ that you are,  _Thor_!" Loki whispered loudly as he cast another spell at the doll lying at his feet. 

He was determined to draw Thor out if it was the last thing he ever did. He  _had_ to know why his so-called brother hadn't bothered to tell him his true heritage if he had known  _all those years_. What was in it for him? Why would he hide it? 

"Not so  _mighty_ now, are you?" Loki cackled, knowing how insane it was to be crouched in an alley whispering at an inanimate doll, but not caring in the slightest. 

He cast another spell, then another, until he was drained. In his haste to punish Thor for his betrayal, Loki had momentarily forgotten that his magic had a limit. He was beyond exhausted. He sat down on the filthy concrete and stared at the little doll that lay between his feet. It looked so utterly harmless, yet Loki wanted nothing more than to tear it to shreds. After taking a few deep breaths to get his physical strength back, he stuffed the doll into his pocket and stood. His legs were shaky, but he knew he could make it back to Phoenix's apartment without incident. 

He had made it all the way to her street when he realized he might be in trouble. Phoenix was crossing to the opposite side of the street, presumably on her way into the Quarter to search for him. She couldn't possibly have any other business outside in the middle of the night. Loki took a deep breath before jogging on shaky legs to catch up to her. 

"Phoenix," he called, just loud enough to catch her attention, but not loud enough to wake the neighbors. 

She yelped, stopping in her tracks and turning to look at him. His heart sank when he saw her puffy, tear-stained face. 

"Loki, where the  _fuck_ have you been? I was so  _worried!_ " 

Despite her angry tone, she flung herself at him, and he wrapped her in his arms willingly. 

"I'm sorry, love. I-- I couldn't sleep." He knew it sounded like a weak excuse, but he  _felt_ weak at that moment. He'd drained himself in that alley, and now he had managed to make his girl cry. 

Phoenix looked up at him, concern etched on her face. 

"Why are you shaking? Are you alright?"

Loki's exhaustion was only getting worse the longer they stood out in the street, and he knew he would soon collapse. He didn't bother answering. Instead, he took Phoenix's hand and led her back to her apartment. 

"I think I may be able to rest now, love. Will you come back to bed with me?"

"Of course, darling. Promise you won't sneak out without telling me again? I thought...well, I thought you'd left." 

Loki knew what she meant, of course. Her face told him she thought he'd gone back to Asgard without saying goodbye. 

"You don't need to worry about that, love. I would never do that to you. Besides, I'm not welcome there anymore," he said sadly. 

Loki pulled Phoenix into his chest, stroking her back to soothe not only her but himself as well. It had been a difficult night, and he knew that it was his own fault. When she drifted to sleep in his arms, he nuzzled his face into her hair and let himself fall into an exhausted, fitful slumber. 

 

"Will you be okay while I'm at work tonight?" Phoenix asked as she was getting ready to leave. 

"I'll be fine, darling. Don't forget though, I will meet you there at midnight. I don't want you walking to that trolley alone." 

Phoenix knew she would be fine on her own, but she had to admit she loved Loki's protective behavior. With him around, she hadn't felt the least bit frightened at all. That was a novel feeling in the heart of the Big Easy. 

After Phoenix left the apartment, Loki waited until full dark before donning his cloak and walking back to that same alley. He didn't want to provoke Thor inside Phoenix's apartment because he really didn't want Thor anywhere  _near_ her. He thought if he spent enough time in the alley, Thor would just get fed up with him and meet him there. 

Only a few pesky mortals noticed him this time, even though it was much earlier in the evening. He didn't bother worrying about them, though. If they followed him, he would simply cast a spell to make them forget why they were there. 

As he crouched with his back to the alley's entrance, casting spell after spell at the tiny representation of his former brother, he couldn't help but feel totally justified in his actions. In fact, if he were in Asgard, he was certain he would find an opportunity to fight Thor. He gritted his teeth against the surge of anger that coursed through him at the thought of the betrayal he felt. In the back of his mind, he realized that he  _should_ be taking his rage out on Odin, but  _he_ wasn't the one who had always been better, brighter, stronger; perfect in every way. If only Loki had known  _why_ he was treated differently, maybe he could have had some relief from the constant nagging feeling of rejection. 

He felt himself growing weaker, so he snatched the doll off of the ground, tucking it into his pocket, and headed toward The Dark Entry to wait for Phoenix. He didn't feel like waiting at her apartment all alone. Gods only knew what he would do if he had the place to himself anyway. 

 

 

"What's with the cloak?" Phoenix asked as they were boarding the trolley. 

Loki's eyes flashed with amusement. 

"You don't like it?"

Phoenix reached out to touch the soft velvety cloth. It was beautiful; emerald green, just like her lover's eyes. He looked like a medieval fantasy, especially since he'd paired it with black leather pants, a black button-down shirt, and boots. 

"No, no...I didn't say that. I like it  _a lot_. I just can't believe you can tolerate wearing such a heavy garment in this heat."

Loki's expression shifted, and Phoenix could see that she had unintentionally touched on a sore spot. 

"As it turns out, there's a reason my body temperature is low." 

She didn't give him a chance to fall into the same pit of despair he'd been in for the past few days. Instead, she licked her lips, projecting her intentions  _very_ clearly. 

"Well, you may need that advantage when we get home. You look so sexy in that cloak, I may not let you take it off..." 

Phoenix watched as Loki's pupils dilated and he grinned darkly at her. 

"I'll wear the cloak if you'll wear your mask, love... I'd love to feel those feathers tickling my stomach as you wrap your lips around me. Do we have a deal?" 

He chuckled when he heard her sharp gasp. She knew how to turn him on, certainly, but he knew how to make her  _squirm_. 

" _Hell yes._ " 

"Ehehehe...This damn trolley is too slow."

 

 

 


	26. Chapter 26

Phoenix emerged from her walk-in closet dressed in her Mardi Gras mask, a pair of fishnet thigh-highs, and a green feather boa. Her bright pink lips turned up in a smirk as she strutted on spike heels toward the bed where Loki lay with his mouth hanging open. 

_"Dear Gods."_

Phoenix licked her lips, trying not to let his comment break the mood she was trying to set. She was secretly thrilled that her little costume had garnered such a response. 

"Hold onto the bed posts, and close your eyes.  _Don't you dare move,"_ Phoenix growled. Loki's cloak was still draped across his body, but underneath, she knew he was naked, just as she had requested. 

She made her way over to him, gently pulling the cloak away from his long legs. Starting at his feet, she used the feather boa to tickle up his legs. Phoenix watched as his flesh tensed every time she touched him. She pulled the cloak away from the rest of his body, exposing his erection as well as his marble chest and deliciously chiseled stomach. 

Climbing up on the bed, she straddled his legs, just below the place where she  _knew_ he wanted her. She heard his sharp intake of breath, and she let out a lusty chuckle. Leaning forward, she dangled the boa across Loki's chest to tickle his nipple, but something poked her knee and she let out a yelp of pain. 

" _Oy!_ What the hell is in your pocket?" 

Loki suddenly opened his eyes, and his face grew stony. He looked incredibly guilty, but Phoenix couldn't understand why. 

"Loki, what is it, love? It's no big deal. I just leaned down and whatever is in there dug into my knee. Pull it out of there and we'll  _continue,_ " she winked. But Loki knew he was in trouble.  _Big trouble_. 

 

Just as he had accepted his fate and reached down to pull the offensive little doll out of his pocket, there was a loud banging on Phoenix's front door. 

"Are you  _fucking_ kidding me?! Can't people understand that we're trying to do something dirty here?" Phoenix nimbly climbed off of Loki and grabbed her silk robe from the bed post. 

 

" _LOKI! I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE! COME OUT AND END THIS NONSENSE!"_

 

"Um...I think it's for you," Phoenix said, side-eyeing Loki from the end of the bed. "Who..." She was interrupted by another round of loud banging. 

 

 _"ODIN'S BEARD, LOKI! YOU TORTURE ME TO GET ME TO RESPOND, AND NOW YOU'RE IGNORING ME?!"_  

 

Loki finally jumped up from the bed, wrapping his cloak tightly around him. He gave Phoenix an apologetic look before heading toward the door, fearing that if he didn't answer it right then, Thor would just break it down.  _The oaf_. Phoenix followed closely behind him, having forgotten to remove her mask.

When Loki opened the door, Thor stood before him shaking with rage. He didn't bother greeting Loki before blowing past him on his way inside Phoenix's apartment. 

"Why yes, Thor, come on in. We weren't  _doing anything_ ," Loki sassed. 

 

 When Thor walked under the dining room light, Phoenix gasped. Thor was covered in wounds; burn marks, cuts, bruises, and various other abrasions littered his body. Loki took in his appearance with an obvious slow nod, then met Thor's eyes with a smirk. 

"So,  _brother_ , how fare thee? It's so nice of you to come and visit me. To what do I owe the pleasure?" 

 

Thor advanced on Loki, and Phoenix backed up against the wall, not wanting to get in the way of the bigger man's rage. Clearly he was angry about something, but Phoenix had no clue what it could be. 

"Loki, you dare play ignorant with me after causing all of this?" Thor motioned toward the wounds on his body. 

Loki chuckled humorlessly. "How could I have caused that? Did you forget where I have been? It must have been one of the Warriors Three. They've finally grown tired of your incompetence and decided to teach you a lesson while you were sleeping off all that mead you so voraciously consume on a nightly basis." 

 

Phoenix had never heard Loki speak with such venom in his voice. He was sarcastic and hateful, but so _eloquent._ She couldn't feel anything but admiration for someone with such complete control over his emotions. 

 

Thor let out a monstrous growl, shaking her out of her reverie. He took two steps forward so that he was nose-to-nose with her lover. Phoenix narrowed her eyes. It was at that moment she realized she was still wearing her mask. She shook her head, thinking how ridiculous the pair of them must look; Loki, naked except for a green velvet cloak, and her with the mask, robe, and fishnet stockings. 

 

"Heimdall  _told_ me about the doll, Loki! Where is it?" 

All of the blood drained out of Phoenix's face at Thor's words. 

 _The doll. Loki had a Voodoo doll._  

 

She sat down on the floor with a hard  _thump_ , and both men turned to look at her. 

"It's in his pocket," she said, tears springing to her eyes. 

 

Loki gave Phoenix a murderous glare until he noticed the devastated look in her eyes. 

"HAND IT OVER,  _BROTHER_. I WILL NOT BE TORTURED IN MY OWN HOME!" Thor bellowed, but Loki was too preoccupied with Phoenix to notice.  

 

"Phoenix..." He knelt down next to her, but she wouldn't look at him. Tears streamed down her face as she pulled her mask off and threw it on the floor beside her. 

 

"LOKI, NOW!" Thor thrust his hand in Loki's face, earning him a dark look. Loki stood, no longer interested in anything Thor had to say. 

"Gods, Thor, will you  _shut up for one second?_ If you'd been this talkative when we were children, maybe I wouldn't have had to wait this long to find out I wasn't even a part of your family!" 

 

"Is  _that_ what this is about?" Thor's battered face scrunched up in disbelief. 

Loki glared at him; his anger flaring. "Of  _course_ it is, you big oaf! Mother slipped and told me that you  _knew_ all along, and you  _never said_. You never bothered to tell me, even though we were  _always_ together. We did everything together, Thor! The  _least_ you could do was tell me I  _wasnt really your brother!_ " 

Green sparks were flying from Loki's fingertips, making Thor take a few steps back. He had only seen his little brother that angry one time previously, and it hadn't ended well for the person on the receiving end of Loki's rage. Of course, that person had deserved what he got, but Thor didn't want to experience the same thing first hand. 

 

Loki turned his attention back to Phoenix, attempting to pick her up from her place on the floor, but she waved him away with a derisive snort. 

"Don't  _touch_ me, Loki. I can't believe you went behind my back and bought one of those...those  _things,_ " she sobbed. 

"Phoenix, I..." 

"I guess since you didn't  _see_ the damage my parents took, my little story meant nothing to you!" 

Loki watched, utterly helpless as Phoenix stood and ran from the room, presumably into her bedroom. He felt  _terrible_. He hadn't meant for her to get involved in this feud between Thor and himself, and he certainly hadn't meant for her to find the doll. Nothing he ever set out to do worked out the way he planned. Maybe Odin had been right... he  _was_ worthless. 

 

When Thor cleared his throat to speak, Loki realized he was still in the room. At that moment, nothing mattered anymore except Phoenix. He wanted nothing more than to go to her and beg her forgiveness, but he knew she wouldn't give it so easily right now. The thought only made him angrier at the big dumb hulking oaf in front of him. 

"What could you  _possibly_ have to say for yourself, Thor? That you thought it was for the best? That you agreed with Odin? Or that mother lied, and you have  _no idea_ what I'm talking about." 

"Loki...our father--"

" _Your father_ , Thor. Your father."

 

Thor sighed.

"Father only told me because I walked in on a private conversation between him and mother. Neither of them wanted me to know. When he told me, he said... he said if I told you, you would be taken away from us. That the Aesir people would drive you out of Asgard and force you back into Jotunheim. Loki, I was very young. I believed him. I only wanted to keep my brother. I didn't care that you were...different." 

 


	27. Chapter 27

Loki watched Thor through suspicious eyes for a few moments before finally deciding he  _might_ be telling the truth. After all, it was  _he_ who was the liesmith, not Thor. Lying successfully required a certain amount of intelligence, and although Thor generally overpowered Loki physically, Loki outsmarted him every single time. 

"Fa-  _The Allfather_ actually  _said_ that? That the people of Asgard would send me back to Jotunheim if  _I_ knew what I was? Thor, that doesn't make sense. I certainly wouldn't have told them, so how would they have known? Are you  _sure_ that is how the story unfolded? Or are you trying to cover your own sizable arse?" 

At that point, Loki knew what Thor had meant, but he wanted to see if Thor would slip up in his retelling of the story. Thor's pained expression told Loki everything he needed to know. 

"Brother, please. I'm sorry they hid it from you. I- I would not have done so if our father had not told me such a tale." 

 

Loki narrowed his eyes and began pacing back and forth in front of Thor. 

"If this is true,  _brother_ , why did you not tell me when you became older? When you realized that father had tricked you? It has been what, a thousand years? You had plenty of time." 

Thor's head dropped as if he was ashamed, and Loki knew he had his answer:  _Odin had bribed him._  

"Ah, yes. Odin promised you the throne if you kept the secret. I  _knew it!_ You are  _not_ my brother. You never were! All you wanted was to ascend to the throne. You never cared about me, and neither did Odin. He probably sent me here so I would be out of the way.  _Precious, perfect Thor,"_ Loki sneered, stopping just short of bumping his chest against Thor's. 

Thor didn't wish to fight Loki, and he could see that if he didn't find a way to de-escalate the situation, fighting was what would happen. Loki was  _angry_ , and Thor knew that fighting an angry Loki was something only a man with a death wish would do. Thor was strong, yes, but Loki was beyond ruthless, even when he was fighting his friends. He hated to find out what Loki would do to him, especially since he believed Thor had betrayed him so completely. 

 

Thor held his hands up, signaling his desire for peace. Loki smirked. 

"Loki, it was not like that at all. I did not tell you because... well, because I was afraid. Afraid of what that information would do to you." 

Loki shot him a condescending look confirming he did not believe Thor's admission. 

"What could you have  _possibly_ been afraid of, princess?" Loki spat. 

"Your reaction, Loki.  _This reaction!_ Heimdall saw it. He was so concerned for your well-being, he sent for our mother. When she saw you, she snuck out, risking angering father just to see that you were alright. I was afraid the knowledge would leave you completely unhinged, and as far as I can see, brother,  _it has!_ " 

 

Suddenly, Loki shoved his forearm in Thor's throat, knocking him into the wall. His face was just inches from Thor's as he gritted his teeth and hissed. 

" _Do you want to know why I'm unhinged, Thor?_   _Because I just learned that I am the unwanted bastard offspring of the king of the most hated enemy our realm has ever known. Half Aesir, half **monster**."_  

He grasped Thor's shoulders, shaking him hard enough to rattle his brother's teeth, and even though Thor could have overpowered Loki, he didn't. He simply allowed Loki to take his rage out on him. 

" _Do you have any idea how hard it is to reconcile those two parts of yourself, brother?"_

Loki loosened his grip when he realized Thor wasn't fighting him. Thor didn't know if he was supposed to answer Loki, but he chose to take the risk. 

"I'm sorry, Loki. I _don't_ know...I wish-- I wish I could help."

 

Loki ignored him. "And then,  _Thor_ , I find out that every single member of my family  _knew_ what I was. Everyone  _but me!_ Did you know I was Jotun when you said you would 'hunt the _monsters_ down and slay them all'? Is that what you think I am? A _monster_? Is that what you'll do when you're king? Will I need to go into hiding with my children, presuming  _anyone_ will want me?" 

Thor felt all of the blood drain from his face. He hadn't even remembered making that offhanded comment. They were  _children_. Odin had just finished telling them about the Frost Giants, and his crusade into Jotunheim. He was just a hot-headed child trying to impress his father. 

 _When I'm king, I'll hunt the monsters down and slay them all, just as you did father_. 

He shook his head sadly, closing his eyes against a wave of grief for his brother's pain. 

 

"I- I didn't know, Loki. I never would have..."

Loki shrugged nonchalantly, finally releasing Thor from his grip.

"No matter. It's not as if anyone will want to bear my  _monster_ offspring anyway."

"Loki--" 

"Don't! Don't even  _try_ to tell me that I'm wrong, brother. There are  _no_ females who would want to bear my half-Jotun children. Why  _should_ they, when they could find someone who was  _whole_?" 

 

Thor started to speak, but stopped when he saw Phoenix walk up behind Loki. 

"I-- I don't know what a Jotun _is_ , really, but... am I not good enough to bear your children?"

Loki turned to see Phoenix; her face pink and splotchy from crying. Her eyes were swollen, and she was wrapped up in a blanket. He felt horrible for causing her strife. She had been so good to him when no one else had even cared. 

"Oh, darling...of  _course_ you are. I can't think of anyone better, my love. I thought... well, I thought you were...done with me. I'm so sorry, love. I never meant to hurt you." 

Loki's face had completely changed. His anger had evaporated, and the only emotion left was remorse. His eyes showed nothing but love for her. Her heart swelled at the sight of those beautiful emerald eyes looking at her with such longing. 

 

Phoenix looked sheepish for a moment, then smiled tentatively. 

"I'm sorry for eavesdropping, but you two are kinda loud."

"Loki, I thought I might be  _done_ with you too...until I heard more. I guess I understand why you did it. But I need you to understand why I can't bear the thought of you doing it anymore," Phoenix sighed, "Will you go with me...to visit my parents? Then, maybe you will see..." 

Loki took two steps toward her, then reached out, hoping she would accept his touch this time. When she didn't back away, he took her into his arms. 

"I'll do anything you ask of me, my love. Anything to make it up to you. I'm so sorry I caused you distress." 

Phoenix nuzzled her face in Loki's chest, wishing Thor would  _just leave already_. She wanted nothing more than to curl up against her lover and forget this night had ever happened. 

"I guess I'll leave you two to finish talking. I'll try to wait up for you sweetheart," she winked. 

 

When Phoenix walked away, Loki turned back to see Thor smiling. 

"I wish it were that easy for me to make it up to you, brother. You torture me, then accuse me of betrayal, and still I find myself trying to win you back." 

Loki looked at him for a moment, his mind reeling. Then the corners of his mouth turned up in a smirk. 

"It _is_ that easy, brother. Go back to Asgard and steal the Casket from the weapons vault. I want to see what I  _really_ look like. And I want  _her_ to know what she's getting herself into." 

 

 


	28. Chapter 28

Thor left Phoenix's apartment feeling more confused than ever. He didn't understand how Loki managed to make him feel so  _guilty_. Loki had used a Voodoo doll to  _torture_ him, then accused him of everything from betrayal to downright neglect. 

 _Why was he even considering stealing that Casket?_   _And how in Odin's name was he going to do it without getting caught?_  

He shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind, thinking that he should have asked Loki for tips on how to break into the weapons vault. Surely  _he_ knew the best way... but that was probably Loki's plan all along: Send him back to Asgard on an impossible mission so he would be caught and banished to some other distant world. 

 

Loki was relieved to finally have Thor out of his face. His rational side knew Thor hadn't _really_ done anything wrong, but Loki still wanted to blame him for everything. He couldn't quite figure out why, though. He just had to keep telling himself this was all  _Odin's_ doing, not Thor's. 

When he crept into Phoenix's bedroom, he found her lying on top of the duvet, wrapped up tightly in his green cloak with her face pressed into his pillow, fast asleep. His heart clenched painfully at the thought of her laying in there crying over what he had done. He briefly wondered what he would find when they went to visit her parents. He couldn't imagine what could possibly be so bad that she would have such a reaction to his toying with a tiny doll. 

Rather than waking her, he crawled up on the bed as quietly as he could manage and curled his body protectively around hers. His attempt at stealth was a lost cause, however, because as soon as he touched her, she began groggily calling out his name in her sleep. 

"Loki?"

"I'm here, love. It's okay." 

Phoenix turned over, and Loki could see how puffy her eyes were; how her face hadn't lost its redness. His heart broke all over again at the sight of her. 

"Darling, I'm so sorry. I-- I didn't know. Will you forgive me?" 

She reached out to take his hand, making him feel a tiny glimmer of hope. Their earlier conversation hadn't made him feel any more secure because it had been in the midst of his fight with Thor. He was afraid she was only being cordial to him because they had company. 

"I know. I know you didn't know. I should have told you, but...I couldn't bear it. It was just too horrible to re-live." 

 Loki lay there, stock still, waiting to see if Phoenix would open up to him. On the one hand, he wanted to know what had happened to cause her to be so fearful of the little dolls, but on the other, he didn't want to have a reason to go out and kill anyone for hurting her. 

Phoenix took a deep breath, sitting upright but still holding tightly to Loki's hand. 

"My mom and dad aren't my biological parents. They were my foster parents. I was taken away from my biological parents as a baby because they were both drug-addicted deadbeats. They neglected me so much that I was found nearly starved to death in my crib by one of the neighbors after my biological mother overdosed on heroine. I was four months old." 

She paused for a moment, tears welling in her eyes, but Loki didn't dare move. He was afraid that if he did, the mood would be broken and she would clam up once more. 

"When the courts decided that my biological parents were definitely unfit to raise me, my mom and dad adopted me. That took a while. I was four years old before they were allowed to legally adopt me. That's when everything went very wrong. My biological mother became extremely angry. For some reason, she had thought she would somehow get custody back, even though I had no interest in going back to her or my dad. She went to...to..." 

She paused, tears streaming down her face, and Loki squeezed her hand, urging her to continue. 

"It's alright baby."

"She went to the Voodoo Queen."

Loki nodded his understanding when Phoenix broke down into sobs. 

"The Queen tortured your parents."

" _Yes_. They've never been the same. And it's  _all my fault_." 

Loki held her as her tiny body shook with grief. He couldn't imagine how she could think it was her fault, but he aimed to prove that it wasn't. She didn't deserve to feel such guilt. 

"Darling, none of that is your fault. You didn't  _ask_ for any of that. You were an innocent child." 

And then it hit him:  _She went with me to see the Voodoo Queen. She took me there knowing that woman had tortured her parents. She was terrified, but she did it anyway. Just to help me._

"Oh, Phoenix..."

"For years, they hid me away... afraid she would hurt me. Afraid she would give up trying to get back at  _them_ and come after  _me_. We were too poor to move, so they just had to endure it. If they had just let me stay in the system...none of that would have happened to them."

Loki pulled her into his lap, rocking her gently. Several emotions assaulted him at once: guilt for using one of those blasted dolls to draw Thor out, anger at that nasty Voodoo woman for hurting her parents, and a deeper love for Phoenix for putting her fears aside and helping him when he needed it the most. 

"I'm so sorry, love. I'll do anything I can to help. Maybe I can heal them somehow."

Phoenix's head snapped up. 

"You would  _do_ that?" 

"Darling, I would do anything for you.  _Anything_. I don't know if my magic can heal them after all this time, but I can try." 

Loki was rewarded with the first ghost of a smile he had seen on her lips all evening, and it was beautiful. He vowed right then to do everything in his considerable power to help her parents. Phoenix deserved it. 

 


	29. Chapter 29

"I should warn you...my parents aren't exactly coherent communicators anymore," Phoenix whispered, looking at Loki nervously.

They were approaching the tiny house where she grew up, and she suddenly wanted to turn around and go straight back to her apartment. Visiting them on her own was one thing, but bringing her lover there- her lover who just happened to be a  _god_ \- was a totally different matter. The only thing that stopped her from turning back was the thought that he  _might_ be able to heal them. Having her parents back would be a dream come true. 

"Tell me, sweetheart. Perhaps if I'm better prepared..." Loki let his words trail off, for once in his long life not knowing what to say. 

Phoenix sighed. "Mom stopped talking years ago. She literally never says a word. I guess the stress of everything just became too much for her and she just...snapped. Dad talks to her, but she communicates like a small child. She points to things she wants, and she...well, I guess you could say she 'talks' to dad by touching him."

"Dad is just very  _suspicious_ of everyone. You'll need to let me go inside first. I'll explain who you are, and hopefully he will let you come inside. He still thinks I'm a child."

Loki smiled at her statement. "Fathers tend to do that, love."

Phoenix grimaced. "No...I mean, he really thinks I  _am_ a child. He doesn't remember anything after the last few months of torture. It's as if time stopped inside his mind. To him, I am still just a kid who needs to be hidden away from the world. In fact, don't be surprised if he tries to stop me from leaving when we're done." 

 

Loki noticed the sad state of the tiny house as soon as they arrived. The grey paint was chipping and the roof seemed to be drooping in the center. There were no flowers, no lovingly groomed shrubs, and no decorations of any kind. If not for the light shining through the gap in the curtains, he would have sworn the house was empty.

Phoenix stopped him on the sidewalk, so he stood back from the door while she knocked. When her father answered the door, Loki was shocked to see how  _old_ the man appeared to be. He watched as Phoenix gently touched her father's shoulder, then gestured to where he was standing on the sidewalk. Her father peered out from around the door and glared at Loki. 

"He looks like one of those weirdos we met at Woodstock. Are you sure he's not hopped up on Ecstasy? He probably likes boys too, sweetie," he bellowed loudly enough for Loki and anyone else within five miles to hear. 

If Loki hadn't known of his condition, he would have taught the man a lesson, but seeing as how he wasn't exactly sane, he decided the exchange was quite entertaining. 

" _Daddy!_ Be nice. Can he come in, or are you going to abuse him?" 

"Yeah, yeah... bring him in. Maybe your momma will cut his hair for him." 

Phoenix rolled her eyes, gesturing for Loki to come inside. 

" _Geez_ , Dad. You're in a mood today." 

As Loki entered the house, Phoenix's dad started yelling for her mother, and Phoenix mouthed  _I'm so sorry_ at him. He shook his head to let her know he was fine. 

"EVIE! EVIE WE GOT COMPANY! GIT IN HERE EVIE!" 

Phoenix, who was trying to get her dad to stop yelling, placed her hand on his back and made an attempt at introductions. 

"Daddy, this is Loki. Loki, this is my dad--" 

" _Loki?_ What kinda name is  _that_?"  

"--Patrick," Phoenix finished, deflated. 

"Ehehehe...my parents were hippies, sir," Loki smirked, then winked at Phoenix. 

Phoenix giggled, but Patrick didn't even hear Loki's answer. He was staring at Phoenix. Loki noticed that his eyes had changed. They were no longer lively and alert, but were now clouded over as if Patrick had completely left the building. 

"Baby girl, what in God's name were you doing outside? How many times have I told you to stay downstairs? There's damn witches out there. They'll get you...just like they got your momma." 

Phoenix glanced at Loki for a split second before taking Patrick's hand in her own. 

"Daddy, we've talked about this before...I'm older now. I live by myself. I don't live down there...and...the witches are gone. They're gone, daddy." 

Her voice was low and sad, and Loki's heart broke. The older man had insulted him several times; something Loki didn't take kindly to, but he could see that Patrick had been left with nothing. And Phoenix was the one who suffered. 

Just then, a short, grey-haired woman walked into the room. She didn't look nearly as old as Patrick, but Loki assumed it was because Patrick had spent the last twenty years caring for her; not the other way around. She had the wide-eyed stare of a small child, but behind the stare was something else. It was as if an intelligent being had been locked away inside her body, but couldn't get out. 

"Evie! Phoenix just told me she lived somewhere else now. Ain't that cute? She always tells the greatest stories. Maybe she'll invite us over for one of her tea parties soon." 

Just as Phoenix had said, Evie didn't speak. She simply smiled, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. 

 

As Loki watched Phoenix interact with her parents, he realized that they had been living like  _this_ since Phoenix was little more than four years old. Her parents had been nearly useless to her. Phoenix had raised herself. He suddenly felt very  _privileged_. Even though Odin treated him as a second-rate son, he had the best of everything. 

Loki was roused from his inner musings to see Evie tapping Patrick on the shoulder, pointing to a cookie jar on the counter. 

"Evie, darling, Phoenix hasn't eaten lunch yet, so we don't want to be eating cookies in front of her now do we? Let's have some  _good_ food first. Okay?" Patrick's face betrayed a deep yearning for a peaceful response from his wife. Evidently, she was prone to fits when she didn't get what she wanted. 

 _Like a small child_ , Loki thought. 

 

"Darling, I-- I don't know if I can heal them..." Loki admitted to Phoenix after they finally convinced Patrick that she was old enough to leave home with a  _boy_. 

Phoenix's face fell. She had clearly been hoping for a miracle from him, and he was letting her down. He  _couldn't_ let her down. 

"Are they too far gone?" She whispered. 

"It's not that, love. It's about timing. If I heal your mother, she will suddenly remember everything your father does not, and I will have to rest; to recharge. I won't have enough energy to heal them both at once. I fear the confusion of it all could hurt them both  _worse_." 

Loki watched as Phoenix's face crumpled. He pulled her close to his chest, burying his face in her hair so she didn't see that her grief had become his own. He hoped she wouldn't notice if her hair was a bit wet when they arrived at her apartment. 


	30. Chapter 30

"I'm sorry daddy abused you so much," Phoenix muttered as they sat at her table drinking coffee. 

Loki chuckled. He was used to catching abuse from father figures, so the fact that her father felt the same didn't surprise him. 

"Darling, your father isn't...well. I'm not offended."

 

They sat in silence for a few moments before Loki's head snapped up; a sudden idea at the forefront of his mind. He needed information before he could proceed, and he had no idea how to form this particular question. He was afraid it would upset Phoenix even more, and that was something he couldn't afford right at the moment. 

Tentatively, he took her hands. 

"Phoenix, love? Can I ask you a hypothetical question?" 

Phoenix's brow wrinkled in confusion at his formal request, but she nodded at him to proceed. 

"The Voodoo you have spoken of so far... it is used for evil. But, there are two sides to every art form, especially magic. Is there a way to use Voodoo for  _good_?" 

She didn't speak for a few seconds- long enough for Loki to become worried that he had, indeed, upset her again. But her face was more confused than anything, so he took a chance and went on to explain himself a bit better. 

"You see, love, I can use my seidr for good, or I can use it for evil. There are two sides to every coin, darling. My question is, do you know of anyone who uses Voodoo for good? There  _must_ be a way, or it couldn't exist. Magic does not exist to do one or the other. It must do both." 

"Why-- Loki, why are you asking me this?" 

"Because if we can find someone who practices  _good_ Voodoo, they may be able to help me heal your parents. They may be able to reverse some of the damage while I use my seidr to heal the things that they can't. It would be a very difficult process, but if we found someone powerful enough, I believe it would work." 

The worried look that crossed her face made him wish he hadn't mentioned his idea at all. 

"I- I've never heard of anyone using Voodoo for  _good_ , Loki. Especially around here. That is, unless you ask those fraudulent shop keepers in the Quarter. The ones who sell "love" dolls and "luck" dolls.  _They'll_ tell you that Voodoo is just  _lovely_. _That_ should be illegal," she finished bitterly. 

 

 

Loki had decided to drop the subject of trying to find someone to reverse the damage done to Phoenix's parents. Instead, he focused on trying to cheer her up for the remainder of the day. It had been excruciating seeing her in so much pain. 

The hardest part for Loki was that he had no previous experience dealing with such empathy for another person. He had never felt badly for Thor when he didn't get what he wanted, simply because Thor  _always_ got what he wanted. And he had never been in love before, so he had no idea he could feel  _this bad_ because his lover felt bad. He would have done literally  _anything_ to fix this for her, including... 

Suddenly, he had an idea. It wasn't his  _best_ idea, but it certainly wasn't his worst.  _That_ had already been done. 

 

 

For the next few days, Loki waited rather impatiently wondering whether his idiotic brother would ever return. He had so much excess nervous energy, when he wasn't ravishing Phoenix, he was pacing the floor of her apartment; green sparks flying from his fingertips at random. 

"Loki, love...what are you so upset about? Is everything okay?" Phoenix asked, rubbing her sleepy eyes as she stumbled out of her bedroom in the middle of the night. 

"You've been acting strangely for days...is-- is it-- me?" She whispered, clearly not really wanting to hear his answer. 

Loki immediately ran to her, pulling her into his embrace. 

"Oh sweetheart, no. No, no, no. I just...I'm trying to find a way to help your parents, and it's driving me mad, darling. I can't stand to see you in pain." 

He bent down, kissing her forehead, then looked into her slightly reddened eyes. 

"Phoenix, you're all I have. I-- I have to take care of you, love. And that means taking care of  _them_ as well." 

Loki knew he was telling her a half-truth, but he couldn't tell her everything. Not yet. She would see him for all that he was soon enough. 

Phoenix took his hands, rubbing them between her own. 

"Come to bed...please? I need your big body wrapped around me right now. Would that be okay?" 

"Of course, my love." 

 

 

Later that night, Loki was still lying awake long after Phoenix had finally drifted back to sleep when he heard loud footsteps outside her apartment. His heart leapt into his throat, knowing it really could only be  _one_ person making all that noise in the middle of the night. 

 

 _"Thor_. Don't you realize the mortals are trying to  _sleep?_ You're out here stomping around like a drunken bull! A deaf man could have heard you in the next realm." 

"Shut up and let me in, Loki. I have had enough trouble from you already."

Loki rolled his eyes dramatically, huffing at Thor's claim. 

"Until I've spent over a thousand years lying to you, I really don't want to hear you complaining about  _me_ causing  _you_ trouble,  _brother_. Now, do you have the Casket?" 

" _Yes_ , now will you kindly  _let me inside?_ " 

 

 

"So tell me,  _brother_ , exactly how much trouble did I cause you?" Loki smirked. 

Thor was sitting at Phoenix's table drinking cold coffee that was left over from earlier in the evening. Loki knew how to make coffee, but he preferred pretending he didn't. He enjoyed listening to Thor complain. It seemed to give him  _life_. 

"Will you stop doing that?" 

"What?" Loki snapped. 

"Calling me 'brother' that way, as if you would like to see my head on a pike." 

Loki sighed audibly. "Fine. Tell me what happened, _Odinson_."

"Forget it, Loki. Just take the thing! But know that our father _will_ notice its absence, and he will know you are behind it."  

" _Your_ father." 

 

 

Patience did not come easily to Loki, but he somehow managed to wait until Thor was asleep on Phoenix's couch before taking the Casket. It had been wrapped in a piece of thick cloth, so he carried it into the bathroom where he knew there was a full-length mirror. With shaking hands, Loki unwrapped the glowing cube and grasped its sides, holding his breath.

He watched as the color crawled up his fingers and over his hands like creeping death, and he almost let go of the Casket. He truly didn't want to see, but something; some twisted self-loathing creature buried inside his chest spurred him on. It was almost as if he  _wanted_ to hate himself. He  _wanted_ to see why Odin despised him. He almost wanted to understand. Maybe then, he could move forward. 

When the color had devoured his arms, he lifted his head to look into the mirror.

The first thing he noticed were his eyes. _Those red eyes._  

Suddenly, the bathroom door flew open, and Loki let go of the Casket, but not soon enough. Phoenix took one look at him and gasped.

But she didn't scream, and she didn't run away.

"Loki? Wh--what are you...doing, love?"  

 

 


	31. Chapter 31

Phoenix reached up to touch Loki's fading blue skin, and he immediately jerked away from her, startling her. 

"No, STOP!" He snapped. 

Her hurt expression told him that she had forgotten what he had previously told her about the frost giants.

"I'm sorry, love... but you must remember, my skin- it will  _burn_ you until it is returned to normal." 

A single tear trickled down her cheek, and her hands started to tremble slightly. She nodded her head, but didn't speak, and he knew he had spoken too harshly. As he felt the chill leave his body, he looked down at his hands to make sure they had returned to their normal color before reaching out to take her in his arms. 

"Phoenix, I-- You scared me. I just didn't want to hurt you. I'm sorry, darling."

"S'okay...what are you doing in here?" She asked; her face buried in his chest. 

 Loki hesitated for a moment, not knowing how to answer her. It was odd; not knowing what he  _really_ looked like even after all that time. He knew what Jotun looked like, but he wanted to see  _himself_ exactly how he was, not how the illusion made him appear. 

"I...um...well, Thor managed to retrieve the Casket, and..." 

"And you were curious to see what you really looked like? Why didn't you wake me, darling? I want to see too."

Loki frowned. He suddenly felt like a wild animal in an exhibit. Although he knew Phoenix didn't see him that way, he felt incredibly defensive. 

"What if I don't  _want_ you to see? Did you think of that, Phoenix?" he snapped. 

She backed up a few steps, lowering her head. 

"I- I'll just go then."

 

 _Norns...she definitely has no idea what she's asking._ _I'm grotesque._

Placing his hands back on the Casket, he looked into the mirror and watched the change happen once more. 

And he  _despised_ what he saw. Blue flesh, Laufey's  _disgusting_ bloodlines, those terrifying red eyes, blackened fingernails... 

_Yes, it is better that she does not see me this way. She'll never accept this. How **could** she? She's a beautiful mortal goddess, and I am nothing more than a monster. Not even an acceptable version of my people... a scrawny, unwanted version. _

His gaze lingered on his face for what felt like hours; until nothing made sense anymore. It wasn't even a face in the mirror...just shapes; ridged blue shapes. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he hated them, but he had stared for so long, he almost couldn't remember why. 

The door creaked. 

"I  _said_ I don't  _want_ you to see me!" Loki roared. 

But when he turned his head, it wasn't Phoenix peering through the crack. It was Thor. 

"May I?" Thor asked as he opened the door a bit wider. 

Loki huffed. "Fine. Just-- make yourself useful and block the door with your  _mass_ , please." 

"What do you want, anyway? I thought you had perished on that couch," Loki said, nonchalantly. 

Thor ignored him, as he usually did when Loki was attempting to poke at him. 

"Tell me something, brother...you love Phoenix, correct?"

Loki cut his eyes around at Thor, gritting his teeth. " _Obviously_."

"Then why won't you let her in? Clearly, she is unafraid. She just wants to know you. That's all. You sent her away so that you could stand here alone and stare at your reflection. So you could stand here and find every reason in the realms why you  _shouldn't_ let her see you. She loves you. Let her in." 

" _LOOK AT ME, THOR!_ What woman in her right mind would want to see this? What woman would want to wake up in the middle of the night to see these terrifying red eyes staring back at them? I should just leave. I should leave her alone. I've done enough damage. She deserves better than  _this_. Now, will you  _please_ get  _OUT_?"

Thor did as he was told, closing the door as he left, and Loki waited until he was sure Thor was gone before sinking to the floor. With his head in his hands, he sat against the bathroom door and wept. But it wasn't long before he heard a tiny voice outside the door. 

"Loki? Please...don't leave. I need you." 

Her soft voice and muffled sniffling broke his heart into a million pieces, and he scooted forward just enough to open the door. On the other side, Phoenix sat next to the door frame; red-faced and miserable. Loki shook his head at his own stupidity before grasping her waist and pulling her onto his lap. He slammed the door behind them when he saw his brother grinning at him like the big dumb oaf that he was. 

Loki stroked Phoenix's hair as she quietly sobbed into his chest. Once again, he felt  _awful_ for making her cry. No one should have to endure this with him. Except perhaps his traitorous  _brother_. And he didn't  _want_ him around. 

"Shhh... I'm not going anywhere, love. I promise. I just...this isn't fair to you. None of this is fair. You deserve better than me."

Phoenix looked up at him; her face puffy from crying. 

"Don't you  _get_ it, Loki? I don't  _want_ anyone else. I want you. I don't care if all of  _this_ ," she gestured to his lovely face, "is an illusion and you look like Barney the purple dinosaur... I love you. Only you. I-- I won't pressure you to show me what you really look like. I got a general idea earlier, and I don't understand what the big deal is. But...take your time. I'll be here when you're ready." 

"You don't understand what the big deal is? Did you even  _see_? I- I- I'm grotesque! I'm... Wait. Who in the Nine Realms is Barney the purple dinosaur?" 

Phoenix giggled at the confused expression on her lover's face. He was just so adorable, especially those few times when he didn't know the answer to something. 

"Baby, I'll show you later, okay? You'll hate him. My point was that...I don't  _care_ what you look like. And I  _did_ see you... you yelled at me for trying to touch you, remember? Loki...I wanted to...I wanted to touch you so badly. That should tell you I didn't think you were grotesque. I was fascinated. I wanted to see more of you; wanted to feel your skin... taste your lips..." she finished in a whisper. 

Loki was silent for a few moments; his head down as if deep in thought. Then, without a word he raised his hand and cast a protective spell over her. 

"What are you--"

"Are you sure you want this, Phoenix? You can say no, and go on believing that I look like this," he said, gesturing to himself. 

" _Yes_. Please let me see, my love." 

With Phoenix still sitting in his lap, Loki took the Casket from the counter top. Placing his hands on it, he closed his eyes and waited while the cold crept over his skin. He felt Phoenix's gentle touch on his cheek, and he slowly opened his eyes. 

"Loki, you're...beautiful. Your skin...these markings... what are they?" 

"Those are bloodlines. They indicate family lineage," he answered softly. 

She ran her fingertips down the ones on his cheek, and he shivered. 

"I'm sorry... is that bad?" She asked, pulling her hand away. 

Loki grasped her wrist, though, kissing her palm. 

"No, sweetheart. It was actually quite nice. Remember, this is the first time I've been in this form...I have no idea what to expect either." 

"Your eyes. They're the most amazing color. Do all frost giants look like you?" 

Loki let out a sigh of relief. He had been worried that she would be afraid of him; afraid of his crimson eyes. 

"No, love. I'm...not even a good frost giant. They are  _huge_. I guess I was just as unwanted in Jotunheim as I am in Asgard," he shook his head sadly. 

Tears sprang to Phoenix's eyes once more. She felt as though she had cried all night, but the thought of her Loki feeling so unwanted made her sad and angry all at once. 

"You're  _very_ wanted here, my love. Can I...  _kiss_ you? I just want to see how you taste." 

Loki's genuine smile told her all she needed to know, so she didn't wait for an answer. She pressed her lips to his, loving how his cold mouth felt against her own. 


	32. Chapter 32

"Please don't hide from me anymore, sweetheart. I think you're...gorgeous. Either way. In fact, if you didn't have to keep hold of that thing, I would show you  _exactly_ how attractive you are to me right now." 

Phoenix watched as her words washed over Loki, and he searched her face for traces of dishonesty. He wouldn't find it there, though. She obviously had never seen any other frost giants, but she didn't understand why they were considered to be such foul creatures. With that beautiful blue skin and those deep crimson eyes... how could  _anyone_ find them ugly? Fascinating, maybe. But calling them monsters was just...

"You  _really_ mean that, Phoenix? I know you love me, but you don't have to do this. You don't have to tell me I'm not repulsive to you." 

" _Loki_! Do you really want to know what kissing you that way did to me? I'll show you. Then, maybe you'll believe me." 

Phoenix stood, removing her pajama pants as well as her panties while Loki sat gaping at her on the bathroom floor. 

" _Touch me."_

"Wh--" 

_"Touch. Me."_

Tentatively, Loki reached out his hand and ran his fingertips between her thighs. He glanced up at her when he felt her moisture on his palm.

" _Now_ do you believe me?"

" _Phoenix,"_ he breathed.

Loki took his other hand away from the Casket so he could pull her back onto his lap. The idea that she wanted him in his natural form made him crazy with lust, and as soon as he could get his clothes off, he entered her in one swift motion; his mouth locked on hers. 

Phoenix gasped as Loki's hips met hers. His skin was still cold and slightly blue from the Casket's touch, and she shivered underneath him. The leftover chill from his body made her feel every movement more intensely. With each thrust of his hips, she felt every inch of him sliding deep inside her, and within minutes, she was crying out his name. 

" _Lo-ki...Oh..."_  

Loki wrapped his arms under her back to keep her from getting bruises, then began thrusting deeper; harder. His mouth was on her throat; biting, licking, sucking. Phoenix could hear his throaty moans in her ear, and it was pushing her close to another peak. 

As she called out to him once more, Loki held her tightly and emptied himself inside her with a deep groan. 

 

Lying with Phoenix wrapped in his arms on the bathroom floor, Loki realized that there was one thing he could do with the casket besides stare into a mirror mourning the passing of his old life. 

The next night, after Thor had gone back to Asgard with a glass planter Loki had enchanted to  _look like_ the Casket, he crawled into bed with Phoenix, but did not go to sleep. He simply waited for her to drift off and slipped out of bed undetected. 

This time when he left in the middle of the night, he was dressed in his armor, and he didn't bother trying to blend in with the mortal world at all. 

 

As Loki stepped into the clearing, he saw the woman waiting for him there. She didn't  _appear_ to be afraid of him, but he intended to change that very quickly. 

"Ah, Son of Laufey, God of _nothing_...'ow did I know you would be 'ere to see me?"

Her voice only made Loki's anger spike, and he had to reign it in before he did something he would regret. He  _wanted_ to kill her on sight, but that wouldn't help anyone. 

"Do not move, witch," he growled. 

The woman in black shot him an evil smile, clearly unimpressed by him. She stood in front of a tree stump lit by fat purple candles. Lying on the stump was a doll surrounded by several other objects including a straight pin, a book of matches, and a dull knife. Loki watched as she picked up a straight pin and stabbed the doll's torso with it. 

He felt a stabbing pain in his side, but managed to grit his teeth until the pain subsided. The woman watched with fascination as he failed to react to her torture. 

"Ehehehe...Physical pain does not affect me, dear. How quickly you forget...I am a _god_. Your parlor tricks won't work this time. I'm afraid you'll have to do better than you did with Phoenix's mortal parents. Unfortunately, you've run out of time. You'll either come with me willingly, or I will take you by force," he sneered.

The  _Queen_ smiled sickeningly at Loki. 

"And how do you tink you will do dat wit no powers, worthless  _god_?" 

Loki didn't answer. He directed a spell just a few inches in front of her feet, setting the grass on fire with a green light. 

"Damn. I missed..." he smirked, knowing she understood he'd done it on purpose. 

She tried to torture him once more by lighting a match and holding the flame to the doll's feet, but Loki didn't even flinch when his own feet felt as if they would melt in his boots. Knowing his heritage, she'd probably chosen fire for a reason, and that only made Loki angrier. 

He stalked toward her; his eyes blazing, hands out to his sides ready to grab her by the throat if he needed to, but she didn't budge. It was obvious that she was now terrified of him. Loki smiled menacingly at her before grasping her robe and lifting her off of her feet. 

The queen's eyes were wide with fear as he jerked her body toward him like a rag doll's; her face now only inches from his own. 

Loki clenched his jaw in his fury, desperately trying to convince himself  _not_ to wrap his hands around her throat and end her reign of terror once and for all. 

"You... are  _no_ Queen. You are  _just a witch_! You used your craft to destroy a family for absolutely no reason, and now you will come with me and make it right, or I will _end you_. You told me what I was, and I have accepted it. Now you must accept what  _you_ are: a _useless mortal witch_ who deserves nothing better than _endless pain and suffering._ You are  _nothing,"_ he growled.  

He tossed her to the ground before producing the Casket seemingly from nowhere. The queen stared at him from her place in the dirt, open-mouthed. She let out a whimper as she watched Loki's features change; his eyes darken to crimson, his skin turn blue. Her terror was the perfect fuel for his fire. 

"You thought you were destroying me when you told me who I really was. You were amused at my pain! But I'm going to use this form to make you fix what you've broken!" Loki yelled as he froze her where she lay. 

 

 


	33. Chapter 33

Carrying the  _Queen's_  frozen ass down the street was  _not_ something Loki thought he would ever be doing in the middle of the night, but as soon as he reached the edge of the wooded area, he realized why it would be  _fun_. 

It was appoximately 2 AM, and the French Quarter was full of people.  _Drunk_ people. Drunk people who thought they were hallucinating when they saw a 6'2" blue man in green armor, complete with a horned helmet, carrying a frozen hag down the street. They were beyond flabbergasted. 

Loki grinned as he strutted along his chosen path. 

"Holy  _shit!_ What  _are_ you, man?" A filthy looking man yelled at him from the sidewalk as he stalked past. 

Loki chuckled darkly.

"Your worst fucking nightmare," he growled as he purposefully cut his bright eyes over at the inebriated mortal. 

He laughed as he watched the mortal trip over his own feet trying to scurry away. 

 

"Now, what will I do with you?" he said to the incapacitated queen. 

"Shall I toss you in the river for those green scaly reptiles to devour, or continue with my original plan and torture you until you decide to help me?"

"It's such a shame I actually need your help, witch. Otherwise, I would savor the moment those things bit into your flesh. As it stands, after I'm finished with you, I might get to see that anyway."

Loki smirked at her face, which was frozen in its last expression of pure horror, and threw her over his shoulder. She wasn't heavy. After all, he was capable of lifting fifty tons by himself, but he didn't feel he owed her the respect of carrying her any other way. 

As it turned out, his armor drew a  _lot_ more attention after Mardi Gras was over. Or maybe it was the fact that he was blue. And carrying a frozen body. Either way, Loki decided against taking the trolley back to Phoenix's apartment.

He had to stay in his Jotun form in order to keep the Queen from thawing out too quickly, and that made the journey quite miserable for him. The temperature had skyrocketed to over 100 degrees that day, and had only cooled to around 95 at night, so Loki felt as though his skin was melting. His feet ached where the queen had burned them, and he still had a throbbing pain in his side, but that was not going to stop him. The mere sight of the woman on his shoulder had infuriated him more than he ever thought it would, and he now wanted not only to set things right, but to get vengeance. 

 

Phoenix woke to the sound of loud banging on her front door. Startled, she switched on her bedside light, blinked and rubbed at her eyes, and realized the other side of the bed was empty. Again. 

As she tiptoed down the hall, she grabbed her trusty baseball bat before answering the door. She had a feeling she knew who her late-night caller was, but just in case it wasn't him, she wanted to be prepared. 

She was not prepared for what she saw when she opened the door. There, sprawled out on the threshold, holding what appeared to be a dead body, was a partially unconcious Loki- in his natural form. 

"Loki! Oh god, are you alright?" She screamed loud enough for the entire neighborhood to hear. 

He tried to mumbled something, but she couldn't quite make it out, so she knelt down beside him. 

"What  _happened_ , love? What can I do?" She was touching him all over, trying to assess whether he was alright, but failing miserably because she had no idea how. 

"N-need get her...locked... in. Ch-change back..."

Phoenix was momentarily confused by his answer, but as soon as she saw who  _she_ was, his words suddenly made sense. 

"Holy  _shit, Loki!_ Did you  _kill_ her?" She whispered loudly. 

"No...froz-en...please Phoenix..." 

 _Locked in...Locked in..._   _OH!_

Phoenix immediately began tugging on the Queen's stiffened body, slowly moving her off of Loki and into the apartment. She had no clue why Loki brought that evil bitch there, but he must have had a reason. She dragged the Queen into the nearest closet, locking her in, and ran back to the front steps where Loki was still lying prone. 

"I locked her in the closet, darling. What happened to you? What can I do?" 

Loki groggliy pushed the Casket away from him and began to change back to his normal form. When his skin had returned to its usual color and his eyes were green once again, he looked  _better_ , but somehow still sick. 

"I- I'm overheated..." he panted. "Ice...I need..." 

Phoenix didn't allow him to continue. "I'll be right back!" 

Seconds later, she returned with a glass of ice water and a full bucket of ice from the freezer. 

"What do I do, love?" She asked desperately. 

 Loki took a deep breath, then whispered, "Help me out of this armor... then just... pour it on me." 

"Fuck. Are you sure? That's going to be  _really_ fucking cold!" 

" _Please_ , Phoenix." 

His pleading voice and sickly eyes told her he was not exaggerating, so she unbuckled the many straps across his chest, pulling his armor off. 

"Dear god! What is this wound on your side?" 

"Phoenix..." 

"Okay, okay... later." 

She began pouring the water and ice on him, and she was utterly amazed when just moments later, he was almost completely restored. Phoenix wept in relief when Loki finally sat up, rather shakily, and dragged himself into her apartment. 

 

"Do you mind telling me what this was all about? I'm not angry or anything, just...really curious." 

Loki was stripping the rest of his clothing away so he could sit in the bathtub that Phoenix had filled with ice water. 

He sighed, knowing she probably  _was_ upset that the Queen was currently locked in her closet.  _That_ had not gone as planned. His plan had been to wake Phoenix up and immediately take the Queen to her parents' house to begin their healing. That is, until he collapsed on Phoenix's doorstep. 

"Sweetheart, I'm sorry I left you in the middle of the night again. But, I know how to heal your parents now. Unfortunately, it involves  _her_. I went into the woods to try to convince her to come with me willingly, but that did not happen. So I used my Jotun abilities to incapacitate her until I could get her here. My plan...didn't work out. I was going to wake you so that we could be at your parents' house by dawn, but it was too hot for me. You see, Jotun kind live on an ice planet. It's why my skin is always so cold. Usually I can use my Seidr to control my body's reaction to the temperature, but I had to use all of my power to stay in that form until I arrived here. Otherwise, she would have thawed too quickly." 

Phoenix gasped as Loki took off his boots. 

"Oh my god! What happened to your feet?" 

"Shh... it's okay darling. They will heal quickly. As will the wound on my side." 

Tears pooled in Phoenix's eyes. "She...She tortured you, didn't she?" 

"Shhh... It's okay," Loki cooed, wrapping his arms around her. 

"Didn't she? Tell me!" 

"She tried. But I won. And we will win, love. Now, would you like for me to cast an enchantment on you so you can join me in this bath without freezing half to death? I would love to hold you for a while. It has been a trying night." 

"Oh, Loki... yes. Please. Hold me until the sun comes up. I thought...I thought I was going to lose you." 

"Never, my love," Loki whispered as he gently waved his hands around Phoenix's naked body, ensuring  _her_ bath water would be completely comfortable. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	34. Chapter 34

"They're your parents, Phoenix. Tell me how you want me to do this." 

The Queen had been banging her fists against the inside of the closet door for the last hour, and the noise was starting to wear Phoenix down. 

"I-- I don't know, but  _IF SHE DOESN'T STOP BANGING_ ," she yelled toward the living room, "I'm going to kill her myself, and we won't have to worry about it." 

Phoenix dropped her head into her hands, then peered up at Loki through parted fingers. 

"Are you absolutely  _sure_ that heinous bitch can't escape on her own? Because if she  _does_ , she'll murder us." 

Loki chuckled at Phoenix's frustration. For some reason, he found it adorable when she used profanity; especially when it was directed at another mortal.

"Darling, she has no true magical abilities. Voodoo works because both parties  _believe_ in it. The only reason she was able to hurt me last night is because  _she_ believed she could, and unfortunately,  _I did too_. So she did. She won't escape that closet though. And even if she did, I am far more powerful than she will ever be. You are safe, my love." 

Phoenix sighed, raising her head just enough to give him a shaky smile.

"Alright, then... we can't just go dragging her into my parents' house. They will _flip out_. She needs a disguise."

The sly grin that spread across Loki's face told Phoenix that he already had an idea...and it wouldn't be exactly dignified for the Queen. 

 

 

An hour later, they were at Patrick and Evie's house. 

Loki; dressed in a simple green shirt and jeans. 

Phoenix; in her usual attire. 

And the Queen, who was disguised as a wizen old woman, courtesy of Loki's magic. It was a simple illusion; one that he was sure he could hold even during the healing process. However, the Queen was utterly horrified by her own reflection, and Loki felt he had done his duty to society by taking her down a few pegs. She was accustomed to finery; designer makeup and clothing, all because people were terrified to cross her. She never went anywhere without looking her very best. And now with a flick of his wrist, Loki had reduced her to wrinkles and age spots. 

 "Loki," Patrick nodded grumpily as he opened the door. 

"Um, daddy... this is... Ruth. She's a doctor," Phoenix whispered, introducing the Queen. 

The Queen knew she had to cooperate. Loki had made it  _very_ clear what the consequences would be if she didn't. 

 _"You'll look this way until you drop dead if you even so much as move the wrong way, witch,"_ he'd whispered through gritted teeth as he jerked her toward their destination. The Queen shuddered at the thought, wondering if she would die from embarrassment first. 

 "A doctor? Your mother will  _shit_ a  _brick_!" 

" _Shhh, Dad!_ We brought her because she can  _help_ mom. Now, will you kindly keep it down? Mom really will flip out if you  _tell_ her what we're doing."

 

Once they were seated at the table, Loki whispered to the Queen, _"What do you need for this job, witch?"_

This earned him a wicked glare, but she began to list the items she would require: a bowl of water, an old photograph of Evie from the time of her torture, three white candles, a box of matches, and a swatch of her hair.

"Her _hair_? I don't think she's going to part with that easily. You're supposed to be a doctor, you know."

"Those are my requirements, _Laufeyson_. Otherwise, I can't perform the duties you require." 

The Queen looked pleased when Loki visibly flinched at the name, but he recovered quickly. 

"You'll have to snip the hair yourself, witch. I can conjure the other items without a problem." 

 

The plan was fairly straight forward; Loki would use his seidr to put Phoenix's parents to sleep, and he and the Queen would work simultaneously to reverse the effects of her torture. Unfortunately, as soon as Loki began the process, there was a loud knock at the front door. 

 _"Loki. I need to speak with you at once."_  

The voice was muffled, but Loki would know it anywhere.  _Frigga_. 

"Crap! Is that your  _mom_?" Phoenix blurted. 

"Ehehehe... Yes. My sentiments exactly. She probably realized I stole the Casket, and now she wants it back before Odin realizes it's missing. Entertain your parents for a moment, darling."

 

Loki stepped outside and found Frigga pacing the sidewalk dressed in her best attempt at Midgardian clothing; torn jeans, a hoodie, and flip-flops. Her long hair was still perfectly coiffed, as always, and she still had all the markings of an otherworldly queen. Loki could see that it was all an illusion, but she still looked ridiculous. 

"Eehehe...Mother, what are you wea--"

"Loki, I can't  _believe_ you stole that Casket! You must return it immediately before your father finds out it's missing! He'll never let you come home!" 

" _Thor_! That oaf. Why must he always--"

Frigga interrupted him again. "Darling, it wasn't your brother. He still doesn't realize he brought a fake back to Asgard. Poor dear.  _I_ recognized it immediately. As soon as Thor left Asgard with the real one, I felt it's absence. I knew he had taken it to you. But when he returned, and  _it_ didn't return with him, I knew I would have to intervene. You  _must_ give it back. It doesn't belong here." 

"Mother, I have no desire to return to Asgard. However, I will return the Casket. _IF_  you assist me with a...small project." 

 Frigga looked wounded for a moment, but hid her emotions gracefully. 

"Why wouldn't you want to return home, Loki? It's not because of your...parentage, is it? I  _told_ Odin we should have told you long ago, but he wouldn't listen."

Loki felt intensely guilty for upsetting his mother, but she needed to know how he felt. Phoenix was already terrified he would be "beamed up" to Asgard at any moment, and he needed to be able to tell her with absolute certainty that wasn't going to happen. For a moment, he remembered how he felt when he'd been unceremoniously dropped onto the wretched little planet called Earth. He wanted nothing more than to return home as quickly as possible. He had been angry and heartbroken, but now he couldn't imagine leaving  _her_. 

"I can't leave her, mother. She's my whole world now. So, you can just go tell Odin he doesn't have to worry about me anymore. I'll cause him no more trouble. I just want a quiet life with my girl...and that brings me to the project I mentioned..."


	35. Chapter 35

Frigga stood outside for a few moments while Loki collected both Phoenix and "Ruth" from Patrick and Evie's dining room. He didn't want to leave the Queen to her own devices for very long, and he knew she couldn't  _possibly_ cause any trouble with him  _and_ his mother standing beside her. As soon as she exited the house, Frigga gasped; presumably seeing right through his illusion. 

She grasped his shoulder, pulling him far enough away from the others that they wouldn't be able to hear her whispering. 

"Loki, my son... this is a very bad idea, associating yourself with someone like her." 

Loki almost laughed, but thought better of it. He knew Frigga was only trying to keep him safe and out of trouble, so he gave her a reassuring smile- one that he only reserved for her- and began to explain why the Queen was with them at all. 

Frigga furrowed her brow, deeply troubled by Loki's plan to use the Queen to heal rather than harm. 

"Loki, her kind of magic can't be used for good. Anyone who tries to tell you differently is lying. It is as we say  _dark energy_. She simply cannot heal anyone. It may  _look_ as though she has done so, but there will be consequences. I assume  _this_ is the project you wish for my help on?"

Loki, who felt defeated by his mother's news, nodded; his head bowed slightly. 

"You love this girl- Phoenix- very much." It wasn't a question. 

"Yes." 

"Then I shall help you heal them. Under two conditions... One, you return the Casket to me so I can sneak it back to Asgard without your father finding out that you stole it. And Two, you keep a close watch on  _her_ ," she whispered, nodding her head toward the Queen. 

"Oh, I plan on it," Loki smirked. 

 

 

 

Seconds later, Frigga marched straight over to the Queen, took her by the elbow, and dragged her over where she and Loki were talking. 

"Listen,  _Ruth_. I know who you really are, and if you give us any trouble  _at all_ , you will be facing down powers you have only dreamed of. I know you think you rule this realm, but you're dealing with a  _real_ Queen now." 

The Queen grinned at Frigga, showing her teeth in an almost aggressive manner. 

"Oh, I know...the Queen of Asgard-  _All-Mother_ , is it? Not _his_ mother though.  _He's_ nothing but a monster, trying so hard to be a man...or god, should I say," she said, glaring at Loki and making a mock  _tutting_ sound with her tongue.

 All of the blood drained from Loki's face, and he flung himself at her without thinking. The Queen was on the ground underneath him; his dagger at her throat before she realized what was happening. Then she made everything worse. 

She laughed. 

"Loki-- don't do it. She's baiting you son," Frigga cautioned from behind them. She was busy protecting Phoenix, and she knew there was no way she could stop Loki if he decided to kill the Queen. 

 "But isn't that the truth, God of Lies? Your whole life is a lie.  _That's_ why you're the God of Mischief and Lies. It's not because you're some great and powerful sorcerer. It's because you were born a  _lie_ and you'll  _die a lie_! No one wants you. It's why you were mysteriously  _found_ on a frozen rock, isn't it? It's why you're here instead of your own  _home!_ You have nowhere to go,  _beast_."

Before Frigga could react, Phoenix dodged her protective stance and marched over to where the Queen lay prone underneath Loki. 

"Shut  _up_ , you  _evil bitch!_ " Phoenix's boot connected with the side of the Queen's head, causing Loki's dagger to pierce deep into her throat.

 _"Monster,_ " she gurgled just before her eyes closed for the last time. 

 

 

 

"Oh shit! Oh god... what... what dd I do? Oh my god!"  

Loki immediately cast an illusion over the Queen's body so no onlookers would see her lying in the grass, and rushed over to Phoenix, who was having a full-scale panic attack just a few feet away. 

Her entire body was shaking, and she couldn't catch her breath, so Loki did the only thing he could think to do: He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down into a sitting position on the ground. 

"Breathe with me, love. It's going to be alright. You have to breathe."

"Loki-- I... I killed her! I didn't  _mean_ to do it, I swear! She just wouldn't  _stop_ saying all of those horrible things about you, and I--" 

"Shhhh, darling. It was my fault, not yours. _I'm_ the one who killed her. You did nothing wrong, love. Breathe, sweetheart. I just need you to breathe." 

Phoenix was still choking on every breath as if her lungs were too full, but she couldn't get enough oxygen. She gasped for air, but the more she took in, the  _less_ satisfying it was. 

Loki began to rub her back in slow, easy strokes in an effort to soothe her. However, he soon realized that she wasn't going to calm down, and that this extended hyperventilation was likely doing some real damage to her body. 

"Mother...what should I do?" 

Frigga had been standing by, giving her son the space he needed to deal with the situation as he saw fit, but now that he had asked for her help, she was more than willing to give it. She gently placed her hands on Phoenix's face, muttering  _"Sleep, child_." 

 

 

 


	36. Chapter 36

"What would you like to do next, Loki? We need to get  _her_ somewhere...safe," Frigga nodded toward the place where the Queen's body was shrouded by Loki's illusion. 

Loki paced back and forth, trying desperately to figure out a way to keep from having to do what he thought he was going to have to do. Finally, he stopped in his tracks, giving his mother a pleading look. 

"How long will she sleep?" 

"That depends. It could be a few hours. It may be longer. What are you thinking, my son?" 

Loki took a deep breath, resigning himself to his fate. 

"Mother, I-- I need a favor. I need you to take her somewhere else. Somewhere she won't have to worry about being put in some Midgardian dungeon for this.  _I'll_ take the blame for it. I'll outlive them all anyway...they can't lock me away forever, can they?" 

Frigga put her hands on her hips in a signature fed-up mother pose. 

"I may be the Queen of Asgard, son, but I am not above helping you hide a body on Midgard! I will  _not_ be taking the girl you love to some distant planet and leaving you here to be locked away for something you  _didn't do_. Especially to someone like  _her_." 

"Heimdall will have seen this, mother. Even if I  _can_ get away with it here, you and I both know that fath--"

Frigga cut him off mid-sentence. 

"Heimdall is a bit...busy at the moment. He won't have noticed any of this. I guarantee it," she winked. 

"What did you do?" Loki was genuinely curious to know if his mother, the most powerful woman in Asgard, had actually  _blinded_ the gatekeeper. It would explain a lot about his character, even if he wasn't her biological son. 

"Well, I had to be able to come here without your father finding out. Heimdall is just very focused on a non-existent war happening on Vanaheim."

"Ehehehe... now I know where I get it, mother."

Frigga wasn't sure  _where_ Loki inherited his penchant for mischief, but she knew he would never do anything harmful unless it was absolutely justified. That was why she was unwilling to allow Odin to find out about his latest adventures here on Midgard. She almost thought her husband was looking for a reason to punish their youngest son.

She thought back on the day that Odin had banished Loki from Asgard and frowned. Sure, Loki was jealous of Thor. Who wouldn't be? Thor had been given every opportunity to become the next king of Asgard whereas Loki, who had been told from birth that he was also  _born to be a king_ , had been treated as if none of his accomplishments mattered. In fact, most of the time, Thor managed to boast and brag until  _he_ got credit for Loki's achievements, especially in battle. So when Loki had let the Frost Giants into Asgard to cause a mere distraction from Thor's coronation, Frigga had viewed it as a childish prank. Odin had seen it as war crime. No matter how much Loki tried to explain, Odin wouldn't listen: 

_Father, they weren't supposed to come this far! It was all in fun...I didn't mean for them to---_

_But they DID, Loki, and for that, you will PAY._

And that had been the end of their discussion. Odin had forced a crying, pleading Frigga to strip him of his seidr; something Frigga would never forgive him for, and tossed him out of Asgard, not even bothering to look where he had gone. Odin still wasn't sure where their son  _was_. Frigga wasn't sure he even  _cared_.

 

"Loki? Is it not possible that someone  _else_ could have killed her?" Frigga whispered conspiratorily. 

Loki glanced up at her, wondering if this was in fact, his mother. 

"What exactly are you trying to say, mother? That we  _frame_ someone?" He smirked. 

"No, no! I'm asking... what if we just took her body somewhere? Between the two of us, we could create an illusion that would baffle even the most brilliant mortal detectives." 

Loki gave his mother a mock look of horror, then grinned. 

"You are far more fun without father around... I know exactly where we can take her." 

 

After settling a sleeping Phoenix in her parents' bedroom, Loki and Frigga set about taking the Queen's body to the place Loki had in mind. Little did Frigga know that Loki actually  _was_ planning to frame someone. 

"Marie Laveau's House of Voodoo? Is this her place of business? It looks so... trashy," Frigga muttered. 

"Well, mother, it suits her." 

 

 


	37. Chapter 37

Phoenix could hear people talking, but she just couldn't seem to focus enough to open her eyes. Her eyelids felt as if they were made of lead; her arms and legs tingly. It was the strangest sensation, almost like lucid dreaming, though she knew she was awake. The voices were coming from another room; faint but almost recognizable. She knew she'd heard them both before, but she couldn't quite place them. Abandoning any further attempt at opening her eyes, she lay there and listened, trying desperately to figure out who was talking. 

"Who on  _earth_ put these child-proof things on all of the cupboards? Patrick...did you do this? I don't remember you saying you were going to do this. Why, we haven't had a kid in this house since Phoenix was little." 

_Patrick? Dad?_

"No, Evie. I'm just as confused as you are. I want to know where my keys are. We're running real low on groceries, and I need to get to the store before dark." 

_Evie...Momma?_

Phoenix's eyes flew open as she realized where she was and what had happened just minutes...hours? days? ago. She had no idea how long she had been sleeping, or why she was asleep at all. The one thing she  _did_ know was that her parents hadn't sounded that sane in years. 

Looking around her parents' bedroom, she was relieved to find that it hadn't changed since the day she'd killed the Queen. She cringed at the thought, but was secretly glad she hadn't slept for the last twenty years. When she emerged from the bedroom on shaky legs, her parents turned to look at her, and she almost burst into tears. 

"Momma? Daddy?" 

Their eyes were clear. As clear as they had been the day they had adopted her. Their brilliant smiles confirmed what she already knew: the Queen's death had lifted the curse. Her parents were healed. 

She gathered them both into the tightest hug she could managed, laughing as her mother began interrogating her about the "thingies on the cupboard doors" and her father's truck keys. She took a deep breath, wondering how she could ever explain without telling them how they had spent the last fifteen years. 

 

 

"We need to get back before Phoenix wakes. I don't want her to be alone right now, especially after everything that has happened," Loki whispered as Frigga surveyed their work. 

Loki had insisted they leave the Queen's body behind "Marie Laveau's," as there was no better place. He had secretly wanted it to be found, but he didn't want it to be obvious that someone had placed the body there, so they cast a few illusions to make it look authentic. Loki had even quickly crafted a blade to match the one that killed her, leaving it in the dumpster for the authorities to find. 

He wasn't seeking vengeance against Marie Laveau. Not really. Loki had done a lot of research on Voodoo when he'd been trying to summon Thor. What he discovered was that when the current Voodoo Queen died, another would always take her place. When he looked at Marie Laveau, he saw a woman who was just arrogant enough to believe she  _deserved_ such a title. And just ignorant enough to be even more dangerous than her predecessor. 

"What do you think, son? You've...seen more Midgardian crime scenes than I have," Frigga said with a small smirk, rubbing her hands together. 

"It's brilliant, mother. The blood splatter is especially gruesome. Come now. We must go and make sure Phoenix is alright." 

 

 

When Phoenix had recovered from the shock of having her parents back to their old selves again, she set about the house removing all of the safety devices she'd installed over the years. There were a  _lot_ of them. While she worked, she wondered where Loki had gone. She didn't dare look out the window for fear the Queen's body still lay in the yard. She still couldn't believe she'd killed someone, but when she watched her mom and dad actually  _communicating_ with each other like normal people, she decided it had been well worth it. Even if she went to prison for the rest of her life. 

Her dad had been furious when he found out his truck had been stolen, but she didn't know what else to tell him. She couldn't very well tell him she'd had to sell it years ago so that they could eat. He was a proud man, and the idea that Phoenix had supported them instead of the other way around wouldn't set well with him. It was kinder to let him believe the lie.  

"WHO IS THIS MAN AT THE DOOR, PHOENIX? SAYS HE'S YOUR BOYFRIEND!" Phoenix heard her dad yelling from where she was in their spare bedroom closet, looking for all of the semi-dangerous objects she had hidden from them. She immediately ran to the door, praying her dad hadn't said anything too offensive. Even sane, he did that. 

"Loki!" She threw her arms around him the second she saw him, enjoying the sweet smile on Frigga's face. 

"Darling, I'm so sorry we weren't here when you woke. Our...errand took longer than expected," he said, glaring at his mother. 

"Did you call him  _Loki_? What kind of name is  _that_?" 

Phoenix couldn't understand how her parents remembered her, as an adult, but couldn't remember other things; Loki, the truck, the child-proofing...it was a mystery they may never solve. 

" _Daddy!_ Can we...um...Can we get a little privacy, please? I actually need to talk to Loki and Frigga alone." 

Loki glanced from Phoenix to her dad; his face a comical combination of confusion and irritation. 

"Fine. I can see when I'm not wanted." Patrick started to close the door, but just before it shut, he peeked out once more. 

"No makin' out on my lawn, now!" 


	38. Chapter 38

"How? I- I mean... not that I'm not  _so_ grateful but...  _how_ is it possible that they are just--"

Phoenix was having trouble expressing the emotion she felt having her parents  _whole_ again. She simply couldn't believe the Queen's death was all it took to stop their suffering and deterioration. As soon as her father had closed the door behind them, she flung herself into Loki's arms; longing for his comforting presence after such a terribly traumatizing day. 

Loki brushed the hair out of her eyes and shook his head from side to side almost imperceptibly. 

"I don't have the answer to that, darling. All I can do is speculate. I  _think_ when the Queen died, her link to them vanished as well. But as I said, I am only guessing." 

Phoenix was a little unnerved by the way Loki kept glancing at Frigga. It was almost as if he was waiting for her to do something, but she wasn't sure what. 

"So, what now? I mean...what did you do with her?" 

She was trembling now, waiting for Loki to tell her what had happened to the evil woman's body. It wasn't like she actually gave a damn about the woman, but she hated the idea that Loki had been forced to hide the body- or worse- destroy it so that she wouldn't be implicated in the Queen's murder. Loki squeezed her tightly, still glancing over her shoulder at his mother who was silently watching them from a few feet away. 

"We...placed her somewhere she would be found and made sure no one would link you to the accident. Don't fret, my love. Everything will be alright." 

Phoenix could tell that Loki was hiding something from her, and she wasn't going to let him get away with it, but it was not the time or place to call him out. They needed to get out of her parent's yard; out of sight of anyone who might be watching. Their neighbors were nosy as hell, and Phoenix knew beyond a shadow of doubt  _someone_ on their block had seen the covered body in their yard. She only hoped and prayed it was the senile old man across the street. He'd never remember it long enough to do anything about it. 

"I guess we need to get home then. I mean, we shouldn't be standing out here. Not for long anyway," Phoenix muttered, almost to herself. 

She wanted to go inside and get reaquainted with her parents, but that would have to wait. She was far too nervous about having just killed the Queen to stay at the scene of the crime, and she knew the police would never bother questioning _them_.Everyone knew her parents were...helpless. 

"Are your parents settled then? Will they be alright without you?" 

Loki's genuine concern for them warmed her heart, even through the cold dread she was feeling. 

"I'll go inside and say goodbye and... make sure they have everything they need." 

 

 

"Mother-- are you alright? You've had quite a day..." 

Loki was looking at Frigga with a mixture of worry and melancholy on his face, and Frigga couldn't help but smile at him. She had watched his interactions with Phoenix, trying to discern whether her son was really in love or if he had simply found comfort in the arms of this mortal woman. It was the former. Loki wasn't coming back home. Even if Odin called for him at that very moment, Frigga knew he wouldn't go. So, this wasn't  _goodbye_ , but it was  _goodbye for now_. A tear made its way down her cheek before she even realized her weakness was getting the better of her. 

"Oh mama. What is it? I know it was dirty business, but it had to be done."

Frigga laughed and walked toward her extremely intelligent but completely clueless son, placing her hands on his shoulders. 

"My son, do you think me so weak? You forget the number of battles I have seen. The number of battles I have helped clean up after.  _That_ was nothing... I will miss seeing you, my darling boy. Thor will never grow restless and leave home. I knew that when he was a small child. But you...I knew when you were tiny that you would be like this- having your own adventures all over the realms. I knew we would never be able to keep track of you, and I dreaded the day when you decided we- Asgard wasn't enough for you. Now that the time has come, it is difficult for me to leave. But at least I know you are well cared for. You've met your match, Loki. And when you're ready, I will make sure Phoenix has the capability to live as long as you do. All you need to do is come see me. Your father need not know of that." 

Loki pulled his mother into a tight embrace- a hug he hadn't given her in a very long time; not because he didn't feel close to her, but because he'd grown older and hugging his mother had simply fallen down on his list of priorities. Now that she was leaving, he wished he'd done it far more often. She deserved it. He buried his face in her hair, memorizing its scent.

"Your father  _will_ allow your return, you know. He doesn't have a choice," Frigga pulled back, holding Loki at arms length, and winked. 

Loki sighed. He knew Odin would eventually let him come back to Asgard, even if it was because of Frigga's insistence, but he wasn't sure he wanted to be there. He didn't belong. 

"I'm sure Phoenix would love to see Asgard at some point, mother. I promise we will visit you, even if we have to do it in secret." 

Phoenix stumbled out of the front door and down the steps at that moment. Taking in the sight in front of her, she stopped before reaching the pair. 

"I can just wait... inside or something. I don't want to interrupt." 

Frigga held her arms out toward her. "Come, dear girl. I must take my leave now, and I want to thank you."

" _Me?_ " Phoenix felt she had been nothing but trouble for Loki since he'd fallen out of the sky and landed on Earth. How could his mother  _possibly_ thank her for anything?

"Yes, of course! I haven't seen Loki this content in years, and I know it's because of you. I can leave here knowing he will be alright." 

 

 

 

It was full dark by the time Loki and Phoenix finally made it back to Phoenix's apartment. Phoenix felt as if she'd lived an entire lifetime in one day, and all she wanted to do was wash it all away. As she slid her key into the lock, she felt Loki's hands grasp her hips, and that familiar tingle began low in her belly. 

"I know you've had a very long day love, but I  _need_ you." 

Loki's deep voice was laced with arousal, and she already knew she would never turn him down. She felt like it had been an eternity since they'd last been alone together. 

Her voice was trembling when she finally answered. 

"I would love a shower... _together_." 


	39. Chapter 39

"I just...I feel so  _filthy_ , Loki. How do I ever get clean again?" 

Phoenix had lathered herself at least three times already after asking him to wait for her. She just wanted the repulsive feeling to go away, but no amount of body wash was making her feel any better. She still couldn't believe she had actually  _murdered_ someone less than twelve hours before. 

"Allow me," Loki whispered, gently taking the soap from her hands. He poured a large dollop in his hand, lathering it.

"Turn around, love." 

His voice was soothing, and Phoenix found herself closing her eyes as she turned away from him. Gently, he pulled her against his strong chest so that she was leaning on him for support, and he began to run his hands all over her body. He started at her neck; sweetly caressing it with his slippery hands. Moving down, he avoided her breasts in favor of her sides. Loki gripped her hips, then slid his hands across her belly and down her thighs. As he did so, he whispered to her; words she could barely hear. 

"Phoenix, my darling love, today was not your fault. You were defending me. You were defending me because you were unable to defend your parents so long ago. It was a natural reaction, darling. There is nothing unclean about you. You are perfect. Do you want to know what I think because of this whole thing?" 

She had to concentrate hard on answering him. His hands were working their way down her thighs; sliding between her legs just close enough to  _there_ to make her shiver. 

"What? I _do_  want to know...I was afraid- afraid you'd think I was a monster." 

"No, no darling girl. I thought, 'now there is a woman who would make an excellent mother for my children. She protects those she loves by any means necessary.' And that is what you did. Besides, you keep forgetting, it was  _my_ blade that killed her. Not yours." 

Phoenix suddenly turned to face him, pressing herself against his bare body. "You--- you've  _thought_  about having children with me?" 

Loki looked a bit chagrined, but recovered quickly and smiled. 

"I think about it all the time, love. All the time." 

Their lips crashed together as Phoenix completey forgot about the events of the day. She had known without doubt that Loki loved her, and  _she_ had so many fantasies about their staying together to have a family of their own, but she never allowed herself to hope that he did too. 

Loki pulled away from her as the stream of water dripped down their bodies. His face held a sadness Phoenix didn't understand. 

"You would be willing to have my babies? Even though they will be...like me? Phoenix, they won't  _look_ like I do in this form. They will have my Jotun characteristics. It's a recessive trait, but will probably still override your mortal ones. Are you prepared for that?" 

Phoenix could see the conflict in his eyes; the burning desire to have a family of his own combined with the fear that they would face the same injustices he had. She reached up to touch his cheek. 

"I would be  _thrilled_ to have such beautiful and unique babies, Loki. Please believe me. I _want_ that...with you. _Only_ you." 

 

 

After they had made love in her shower several times; once even sitting down under the heavy spray of water with Phoenix's legs wrapped tightly around Loki's hips, Loki turned off the water and wrapped her, shivering, in a large soft towel. 

"Are you tired, love?" He looked like he was trying desperately to appear concerned, but his eyes betrayed him. Loki was still very much aroused. His stamina never failed to impress her, and for some reason even though she  _was_ exhausted, she was absolutely up for more. 

"Not  _too_ tired," she winked. 

"Alright then. Wait here a moment. I promise it will be worth it." 

When Loki closed the bathroom door behind him, Phoenix wondered what he could possibly be doing out there. Her curiosity got the best of her when she heard muttered incantations mixed with a few expletives coming from the direction of her bedroom, so she opened the door just enough to peek out. All she could see was shimmery green light, so she closed the door once more and waited for his return. 

 

 

Moments later, after he had called for her- an uncharacteristic "Come here, my little sex kitten!"- Phoenix walked into the bedroom to find Loki hanging from the ceiling in what appeared to be one of the sex swings from  **The Dark Entry**. 

"Oh...oh my God! You- you  _stole_ that! From the store!" 

Head cocked to the side, he smirked. "No, love. I left payment. They wouldn't dare complain about the equivalent of five hundred Midgardian dollar's worth of gold coins, would they? Now, if I am correct in my assessment, you fit right... here," he grinned, gesturing to his sizable erection. 

 

After a few frighteningly wobbly moments, Phoenix managed to hoist herself up onto Loki's lap, flopping almost uselessly against his cool marble chest. 

 _"_ Ehehehe...I guess this will take some practice, won't it darling?" 

Loki ran his long fingers down her back, sending tiny shivers along her heated skin. She had almost exhausted herself trying to climb onto the swing, but his whispered words and soft touches were bringing her back to life. 

"Loki," she said, raising her head just enough to look at him, "Do you have any idea how this thing works?" 

"Not a clue. I managed to secure it to the ceiling with my Seidr...and my plan is to let you ride my cock until you scream my name loud enough for all of your neighbors to know it  _very_ well by morning." 

 _"Oh, god..._ I'm going to ignore the fact that this thing isn't even properly secured and... well... just..." 

 Phoenix didn't even finish her sentence before Loki lifted her bottom and slid inside her, making her moan. 

"Come now, darling...  _say my name._ Your neighbors deserve to know the new resident."


End file.
